


One of a Kind

by sassysmith19 (sassysas19119)



Series: Our Kind [9]
Category: Big Bang (Band), SHINee, Super Junior, VIXX
Genre: A/B/O, Animals, Animals?, Fetus Taenew/Oyang, GTOP, Gay, M/M, Oyang, RaBin - Freeform, Seers, Spirit Animals, Spirits, Tension, TeukChul, Tribe - Freeform, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Vixx - Freeform, War, Zodiac?, bigbang, daeri - Freeform, donggeng, dongteuk, gdyb - Freeform, hyuken, kind of wolfish?, neo - Freeform, our kind, our kind series, taenew?, wolves?, yb loves gd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-08-11 01:44:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 21,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7870678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassysas19119/pseuds/sassysmith19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"<em>Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst, and corrupts the best</em>."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original Chapter Title [OCT] = Chapter One - Intro

Hakyeon could sense it the moment the newcomer arrived. He knew he should probably try to control his anger, after all, what had happened wasn’t on the Seer behind him, but he really didn’t want to try to control himself right now. He had been controlling himself for too long now, he really needed to punch someone or he was going to lose it.

“Hakyeon?” The Alpha turned to look over his shoulder, and then sighed. “I’m sorry, I know it’s late, and I know you’re angry, but I need to tell you something.”

“What is it, Jaehwan?” That came out snappier than he had intended, and he could sense the way Jaehwan flinched when he said it.

“I Saw something.” Hakyeon didn’t grace that with a response. “I think…I think it’s important.”

“You always think it’s important.” Hakyeon’s voice was filled with venom, he knew, and he knew he shouldn’t be directing it at Jaehwan, but he couldn’t help it.

“Because usually it is.” The Seer took a deep breath. “Sorry. But listen, I Saw this…well, there were two people. I don’t…I don’t know who they are, but they were bright, their Spirits were bright, and loud and powerful.” Jaehwan took a few steps closer to Hakyeon before he stopped. “I think we need to find them.”

“Of course you do.” He winced at his own scathing tone. “You know, Jaehwan, sometimes I think you place a little too much faith in your visions.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jaehwan sounded hurt, and Hakyeon knew he should stop, but dammit, he was angry. “You know what I mean.” Before Jaehwan could respond, Hakyeon turned to glare at him. “Remember what happened when we found Hongbin? We almost got _killed_ because of your vision, remember that?”

“Of course I do, Hakyeon, but we also found Taekwoon because of my vision, so you can shut your mouth.”

“Oh, _sombody’s_ being sensitive. What is it you’re not telling me, Jaehwan?” The Seer opened his mouth, but Hakyeon cut him off. “Don’t try to lie to me, I know you. You only get defensive when you’re hiding something.”

“That’s not true, and you know it!”

“You’re not exactly helping your case here.” Jaehwan opened his mouth to argue, and then closed it when he realized that Hakyeon was right. “I suppose you could go looking for them, if you want. But you’re leaving Hongbin and Wonshik here.”

“Does that mean I can take Taekwoon with me?”

Hakyeon looked ready to say no, and then sighed. “Very well. Take him. But if he dies, Jaehwan, know that I will not rest until I find you, and _skin you alive_.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Watch your mouth.”

“Leave him be, Hakyeon, he’s not the one you’re angry with.” Hakyeon opened his mouth, looking murderous, but the newcomer cut him off. “Jaehwan, I need to speak with Hakyeon alone, please.” The Seer nodded, and scampered off, leaving the pair alone. “He’s done nothing wrong, Hakyeon, you know that. Be angry at me if you will, but don’t take it out on the others.”

“Then who am I supposed to take it out on?”

“Me.” Hakyeon growled in his throat. “Hakyeon.”

“Taekwoon.”

“Don’t be a child. If you want to punch someone, punch me. Don’t let our problems interfere with the rest of them. Don’t let Wonshik and Hongbin and Jaehwan get tangled up in our issues.” Hakyeon rolled his eyes. “Don’t be like that. You’re acting like a brat, not an Alpha.”

Hakyeon didn’t speak for a long moment. When he did, his voice came out soft and gentle and shaky. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

After a moment of silence, Taekwoon nodded. He came forward, folding Hakyeon into his arms. “They love you, you know. They would die for you. They don’t deserve to be punished for something they didn’t do.”

When he pulled away, there was a strange look in his eyes, a look that Hakyeon couldn’t quite place. He had to force his gaze away, fingers tightening around Taekwoon’s wrists, before he spoke again. “I know. I know I shouldn’t be upset with them.” His thumb ran over a scar on Taekwoon’s wrist, and he winced. “I hate it when we fight. I hate being angry at you.” Taekwoon opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Hakyeon cut him off. “No. Don’t say it. Because we both know, Taekwoon, that when I get angry, I _hurt_ people. I don’t want to hurt you again.”

“So you’d sacrifice the rest of your Tribe, just to keep me intact.”

“Yes.” The answer came without any hesitation. “You know I would. You’re my mate, of course I would do that, to protect you. You are my life; I would do anything to protect that.”

“You would kill my best friends?”

“If I had to choose between them and you? Yes.” Taekwoon sighed softly. “That’s what life is about, Taekwoon. It’s about figuring out what matters more to you. You can’t have everything; you can’t _save_ everyone. And if I had to choose between you and Jaehwan, I would pick you. Every time.”

Taekwoon looked ready to say something, then thought better of it, and turned away. He walked to the edge of the clearing, before glancing over his shoulder at Hakyeon. “Jaehwan and I will be back soon. We’ll bring whoever he Saw with us, or we’ll kill them.”

“I know.” Hakyeon didn’t turn to look at him, his gaze forced forward, shoulders tight with tension. “Promise me you’ll come back alive.”

“You have my word.” Taekwoon paused, and Hakyeon almost thought he had left, before he spoke again. “I won’t die for Jaehwan’s Sight, you know that. He matters to me, but he isn’t worth my own life.”

“You agree, then, that these people he’s Seeing are worth bringing here?”

Taekwoon sighed. “I believe that we should look into it. If they are truly as bright as he says they are, I would rather they be on our side than against us.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OCT = Sanghyuk and Jiyong and Youngbae and Seungri and Daesung

“This was a bad idea.”

Youngbae turned when he heard the others approach him, Jiyong at the head of the party. “I don’t think so. No one else seems to think so. It would appear, Jiyong, that you’re the only person who thinks we’re making a mistake.” He caught Daesung’s eye, but the Hunter turned away almost immediately. “I know what I saw. I know what it means. I’m going to go where my Sight tells me to. You’re welcome to follow, if that’s what you want.”

Jiyong looked ready to argue, but he was cut off by Sanghyuk’s gentle voice. “To be fair, Jiyong, he does have a point. He’s not going to try to force anyone to follow. I’m going with him by my own choice. You don’t have to.”

“Don’t talk.” Jiyong snapped, his glare locked on Youngbae. “This is beyond reckless. You are going to get my Tribe _killed_ in this venture, and you know it. It’s not worth your time, Youngbae, and it’s not worth their lives.”

Youngbae sighed heavily. “I don’t think you get it yet, Jiyong. I’m not _forcing_ anyone to go with me. I told you I would do this alone. They all volunteered to help. That means that they either believe that they won’t get killed, because they _know_ this will work, or they think that it _is_ worth the risk. Either way, it’s their choice, not mine, and _not_ yours.”

Daesung put a hand on Jiyong’s shoulder, but he shrugged it off, moving away. “Jiyong, he’s not lying. He wouldn’t lie. You know that, you know _him_. You know he’d never intentionally put us in danger against our will.” Jiyong growled, but before he could speak, Daesung had continued. “If he says he Saw something, then he probably did.”

Jiyong turned on Youngbae. “This is tearing my Tribe apart.”

“Your Tribe?” Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, everything else went dead silent. “ _Your_ Tribe? You think you’re the only one that _matters_ , Jiyong?” The Alpha opened his mouth, ready to argue, but Youngbae cut him off. “This Tribe belongs to me, and to Daesung, and Seungri, and Sanghyuk, just as much as it belongs to you. Without us, you wouldn’t _have_ a Tribe, Jiyong. You’d be all alone, with _no one_ , just like you were before.”

Jiyong looked like Youngbae had just punched him in the nose, and Youngbae regretted his choice of words almost instantly. “Ji, I-”

“Don’t.” This time, it was Sanghyuk’s turn to speak, as Jiyong turned on his heel and stormed away, leaving them alone. “Give him some time, Youngbae. Let him consider what you said. Because you weren’t wrong, about any of it. He just needs a little while to realize that.”

Daesung exchanged a glance with Sanghyuk. “Sanghyuk’s right. I know Jiyong, I’ve known him since I was a kid. He’ll figure out that you were right, it just might take a while.” Daesung turned away, pulling Seungri with him, but paused to say one more thing to Youngbae. “And you are right, Youngbae. About the Tribe, about Jiyong.”

He and Seungri slipped away, leaving Youngbae alone with Sanghyuk. “What aren’t you saying, Youngbae?”

The Seer shrugged. “Plenty. There’s plenty that Jiyong doesn’t know. Plenty that I’d rather he _not_ know.”

Sanghyuk hummed quietly. “I know, Youngbae. We all have our secrets. But there’s something different, inside of you, and it’s tearing you apart, not being able to talk about it. Or perhaps it’s not so much that you aren’t _able_ , and more that you aren’t _willing_.”

Youngbae looked ready to argue, and then seemed to think better of it. “I…you aren’t wrong.” Sanghyuk smiled in a knowing way. “I would die, if he found out.”

“Why? What’s so secret that Jiyong would _kill_ you for it?”

Youngbae grimaced. “It’s not…not like that. _He_ wouldn’t kill me. _I_ would have to kill me. It would not bring anything good to the world, if he knew my secret.”

“And yet keeping it from him brings you more harm than good.” He didn’t get an answer. “Youngbae, I will not allow my Tribemate to suffer while there’s something I can do about it.”

Youngbae sighed. “Sanghyuk, you are truly so much better than the world deserves.” The younger snorted, but then his face smoothed back into neutrality. “Swear to me that he will never hear of this.”

“You have my word.”

Youngbae nodded once, breathing slowing to a near stop. “I love him.” Sanghyuk sucked in a sharp breath, mouth falling open, but before he could speak, Youngbae had continued. “I love him, and I can never have him, because he is not my mate, and he never will be.” The Seer cut off abruptly, eyes wide. “I shouldn’t…I’m sorry, Sanghyuk, I shouldn’t have told you.” Without warning, Youngbae all but ran back into the forest, leaving Sanghyuk alone.

_How could this be happening? This wasn’t how it was supposed to work. This wasn’t…this had never been what Sanghyuk had wanted for his Tribemate. This hadn’t fixed things, this had made them worse._

Sanghyuk was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a twig snap. “Hello?” No reply came, but he hadn’t really been expecting one. “Who’s there?” Again, no response. “I won’t hurt you. I just want to know who you are.”

A long moment of silence, and then a pair of people – men – stepped out of the shadows, and into the moonlight.

Sanghyuk’s eyes touched on the taller one before landing on his companion, and staying there. Their gazes locked, and a sensation swept through Sanghyuk, something quite unfamiliar to him. It almost felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs, like the time Jiyong had thrown him into a tree. But this was different, so, so different, and Sanghyuk kind of felt like he wanted to explode.

The newcomer cocked his head to the side in thought, and then he smiled gently. “Well, that is interesting. You aren’t quite who I set out to find, but I’ll take what I can get.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OCT = The Confrontation

Sanghyuk hadn’t been sure what to do with the newcomers. On any other day, he would have taken them to see Jiyong, but the Alpha was kind of…missing. No one had heard from him since he had stormed off. Not that it worried them; he was prone to that sort of thing, it was just a little frustrating.

Daesung and Seungri had gone to look for him, per Sanghyuk’s request. But they wouldn’t find him, not unless he wanted them to, and knowing Jiyong, he _didn’t_.

“Sanghyuk, is something going on? Daesung and Seungri said-”

Youngbae cut off when he spotted the newcomers seated across from Sanghyuk. The shorter of the pair – Jaehwan, if Sanghyuk remembered correctly – turned to look at him, eyes widening just slightly, before Sanghyuk broke his train of thought. “Ah. Youngbae. It’s…it’s a long story. These are Jaehwan and Taekwoon.”

“Why are they-”

“I didn’t know what to do, I’m sorry, Youngbae, I don’t think they’re going to hurt anyone, I wanted to know what Jiyong thought we should do, but I don’t know where he is, so I just figured they could wait here, but if you want them to leave-”

“Sanghyuk.”

He bit his lip, silencing himself, before turning to look at Jiyong, who had stepped out of the shadows behind them. “I…sorry.”

Jiyong sighed quietly, waving off Sanghyuk’s apology. “Is there something I can do for you?”

Jaehwan and Taekwoon exchanged a look, before Jaehwan spoke, voice soft. “My name is Jaehwan, I’m a Seer from down South. I Saw something about a week ago, something that led me here, and, as such, I’m assuming, to you, and your Tribe.”

Taekwoon looked hesitant to speak. “Our Alpha didn’t want us to come. He didn’t believe that the subjects of Jaehwan’s vision were worth our time.” Jaehwan nodded, before Taekwoon continued. “Jaehwan, are you sure that-”

“Yes.” Taekwoon raised an eyebrow. “I can See their Spirits, Taekwoon. I know what I’m seeing, I know that it’s what I Saw before. It’s really them.”

“Who?” Jiyong interjected quickly, cutting off whatever Taekwoon had wanted to say. “Who did you See?”

Jaehwan looked at him for a long moment before he spoke. “You.” He turned, to look Youngbae in the eyes, their gazes locking. “And you.”

Youngbae looked surprised. “What?” Before Jaehwan could explain, Youngbae had spoken again. “Why?”

Jaehwan rose to his feet, and stepped towards Youngbae. “I can feel your Spirit. I could feel it the second I got close to your territory. I can See it, even now. And there’s no questioning how powerful Jiyong’s is, you and I both know that already.”

Youngbae looked hesitant, but even before he could speak, Jiyong had interrupted. “Why are you _here_? What do you want with my _Tribe_?” Jaehwan looked ready to answer, but Jiyong cut him off. “I’ll tell you right now, I’m not in a good mood. So _don’t_ test me.” 

“I wouldn’t. I came to make you an offer.”

Before Jiyong could say anything, Taekwoon had gotten to his feet, and was outright growling at Jaehwan. “Are you out of your _mind_ , Jaehwan? Hakyeon didn’t say-”

“At the moment, Taekwoon, I don’t _care_ what Hakyeon did or did not say we could do. He didn’t tell me that we couldn’t do this, therefore, I’m inclined to think that I can.” Taekwoon opened his mouth to argue, and then thought better of it. Jaehwan looked at Jiyong, their gazes boring into each other, before the Seer finally spoke. “Your Tribe is in danger. There is a group of Spirit users that want you dead. I don’t know why, don’t ask me.” Jiyong raised an eyebrow. “My Tribe can protect you. We can teach you how to protect yourselves.”

Jiyong looked skeptical. “At what cost to me?”

Sanghyuk could tell that Jaehwan was ready to say nothing, but Taekwoon interrupted. “Hakyeon likes favors. If you want us to do this for you, you will owe him, and you can expect that he will cash in on that.”

“Why would you offer this to us? What’s in it for you?”

“Isn’t it obvious, Sanghyuk?” The younger shook his head. “Whoever wants us dead has some bad blood with Jaehwan and his Tribemates. They’re counting on us to do their dirty work for them.”

Jaehwan shrugged. “You caught me.” Jiyong smirked. “But I don’t think that is going to stop you.” He paused, and walked past Jiyong, towards the forest, Taekwoon just behind him. “If you still want to take the deal, Jiyong, just head South. You’ll know when you hit Hakyeon’s land.” Without another word, he and Taekwoon slipped into the forest, leaving the others alone.

***

Sanghyuk gazed out across the lake, eyebrows drawn together in tension. Today had been trying, to put it nicely. Jiyong was being next to impossible about Jaehwan’s offer. Daesung and Seungri were not only adamant that they not take it, but they were also fairly miffed at Sanghyuk for sending them on a wild-goose chase after Jiyong. Youngbae and Jiyong were still fighting.

“Sanghyuk?”

The Omega’s eyes fell shut. He didn’t speak, but he could feel his companion come closer to him. This was a mistake. Sanghyuk shouldn’t be allowing him to do this.

“Can we talk?” Sanghyuk took a deep breath, and then nodded once. “Did you feel-”

“Yes.” Sanghyuk turned to look at him, their gazes locking. “I can feel it now, too.” Jaehwan nodded slowly, and took a step towards Sanghyuk, before freezing in place. “Jiyong would never let me.”

“Do you even want to?”

“Yes.” Jaehwan looked surprised. “Oh, gods, yes, I do want to. But you know that he’d never…he would never allow me to leave my Tribe, not for you.”

Jaehwan nodded. “I know.” He took a deep breath. “I want you.”

It was Sanghyuk’s turn to step forward, and now, he and Jaehwan were a hair apart. “I want you too. More than I’ve wanted anything in my life.” With slow, hesitant movements, Sanghyuk’s hands found Jaehwan’s, their fingers curling around each other. “I won’t lose you. I’ve just found you, and I won’t let you go, not for Jiyong.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OCT = Post Hyuken and Jiyong Getting Pissed and The Tribe Going South

It took Sanghyuk a long time to bring himself to pull away from Jaehwan, avoiding his eyes. This was a mistake. He shouldn’t be allowing himself to do this. It was wrong, on so many levels. Sanghyuk had seen the way Jiyong had glared at Jaehwan and Taekwoon, had _felt_ the fury and anger and disgust rolling off of him. 

He turned to look out over the lake again. He wouldn’t, he _couldn’t_ betray his Tribe, or his Alpha. That broke every rule he had ever created for himself, violated every principle that he stood by. It wasn’t right, not by his standards, and so he wouldn’t.

Jaehwan seemed to sense this, or maybe he had already Seen it happening. “I’m sorry, Sanghyuk.” Sanghyuk didn’t speak, bit down on his lower lip to keep it from trembling. “If Jiyong changes his mind…well, you know where I’ll be.”

“Yes.”

Jaehwan was hesitating, postponing the inevitable. “I’ll wait for you. I will wait for you, forever, you have my word.”

Sanghyuk didn’t respond to that, didn’t even move until he was sure that Jaehwan had left, leaving him alone on the shore. This was a mess. Slowly, he turned on his heel, and then froze, sucking in a sharp breath, when he spotted Jiyong standing there, just inside the trees.

Never, in all his time knowing Jiyong, had Sanghyuk ever thought that the Alpha wanted to hurt him.

Until now.

Jiyong didn’t move, kept his gaze locked on Sanghyuk’s face, eyes dark and angry and terrifying. He cocked his head to the side in thought, and then spoke, an edge of steel in his soft voice. “I never thought it would be you.” Sanghyuk opened his mouth to speak, but Jiyong silenced him with a look. “Youngbae, maybe, but _you_ , Sanghyuk? No, it never crossed my mind that _you_ would be the traitor.” He came forward, now, until he stood in front of Sanghyuk. “And for _him_ , Sanghyuk, really? It was shocking, you know, seeing the way you looked at him, even though you _know_ he’s a liar.”

“Jiyong-”

“Hush.” Sanghyuk closed his mouth, swallowing his protests. “What I don’t understand is _why_ you want to do it. I have given you _everything_. You’ve known me for years. And him? You met him three hours ago. You don’t know him, and he doesn’t know you.”

“Jiyong-”

Jiyong silenced him with a look. “I never thought you would be the type of person to throw that away so quickly.”

“Jiyong, I’m not throwing anything away!” Jiyong sighed, irritated. “I would never. This is my home; this is my Tribe. I wouldn’t…you _know_ me, Jiyong, you _know_ I would never…I would never leave you, or them.” Jiyong raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Sanghyuk sighed heavily. “Please, Jiyong. I promise, I would never leave you, not for anything.”

“He isn’t lying, Jiyong. He would never lie, not to you, not to me. He won’t leave.”

Youngbae’s arrival only seems to piss Jiyong off further. “I thought I asked you to leave me alone.”

“You did.” Youngbae came forward, to stand beside Sanghyuk. “I seem to remember telling you that I don’t always listen to what you say. This is one of those times, Jiyong.” The Alpha growled, but before he could speak, Youngbae had continued. “You’re doing it again, you know. That thing that you do where you refuse to listen to any reason at all, and make too many assumptions. You know. That thing you do that gets people killed.”

Sanghyuk swallowed hard when he caught a glimpse of the look in Jiyong’s eyes. That was not anything pleasant, far from it. In that moment, Sanghyuk feared for Youngbae’s life.

The Seer either didn’t see it, or ignored it completely. “Don’t tell me it isn’t true, Jiyong, I know you. I know you better than anyone. I know what you’re doing, and it isn’t good for you, it isn’t good for the _Tribe_.”

After a long moment of silence, Jiyong turned on his heel, a long, angry breath coming through his teeth, as he stormed away, leaving Sanghyuk and Youngbae alone.

The Seer turned to Sanghyuk, lips pressed together in a firm line. “He’ll get over it. He’ll figure out what he’s doing. He’ll figure out that going South is the right thing to do.” Sanghyuk nodded once. “Please tell me I didn’t lie to him. Please tell me that you aren’t going to leave.”

“I won’t.” Youngbae looked critical. “I would never.”

***

This was a mistake.

This was _definitely_ a mistake.

That did absolutely nothing to stop Sanghyuk from doing it. Did it make him feel guilty, sure, who wouldn’t? He had just lied to his Tribe, repeatedly, made them believe that he wasn’t going to leave…and then he had just…left.

Granted, he had taken Youngbae with him – per the Seer’s request, of course.

“Jiyong’s going to kill us.”

Sanghyuk shrugged. “Do you really care that much?” Youngbae hesitated, and then shook his head slowly. “I didn’t think so.” The unspoken truth, _you’re glad you got away from him_ , hangs in the air, heavy and tense and awkward.

They continue in silence, avoiding each other’s eyes, thoughts, movements. Not much longer, and they would be at the border of Hakyeon’s territory. Not much longer, and Jiyong wouldn’t be able to follow them, unless he wanted to deal with another Tribe. Not much longer, and Sanghyuk could see Jaehwan again.

They both felt it almost as soon as they got to the border. Granted, yes, they could smell the others, but _gods_ , Sanghyuk could practically _taste_ the power in their Spirits. So they were powerful, more powerful than he had anticipated. Sanghyuk turned to Youngbae, who seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because his eyes were wide, his nostrils flared, and his Spirit was quivering around him.

Youngbae swallowed hard, and then turned to Sanghyuk. “When Jiyong finds out, we are actually going to die.”

“Well, isn’t that the understatement of the century.”

Youngbae and Sanghyuk turned in unison, freezing in place when they spotted Jiyong and the Hunters behind them.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OCT = Jiyong Is Pissed But Hakyeon and Co Show Up Because Sanghyuk and Youngbae Accidentally Step Onto Their Land

Jiyong prowled forward, growling low in his throat. “I _thought_ we discussed this. I _thought_ you promised that you would never, _never_ , betray me, betray the Tribe, betray your _family_.” He came to a stop about five feet away from them, eyes dark with his fury, Spirit lashing out with his anger. “Give me one good reason not to kill you, Youngbae.”

Sanghyuk exchanged look with Youngbae. “Jiyong-”

“I wasn’t asking _you_ , Sanghyuk. Gods know I’m going to kill you anyways.” Sanghyuk looked ready to argue, but Jiyong cut him off. “I will end you, the both of you, right now, if I have to.”

Sanghyuk looked over Jiyong’s head at Daesung. The Hunter caught his eye, and then looked away, pressing closer to Seungri. Sanghyuk sighed heavily, and then looked once more at the Alpha in front of him. “I didn’t want to hurt you. Any of you. That was never my intention.”

“Oh, that’s bull-”

“Excuse me.”

Jiyong was silenced by a soft, yet somehow still powerful, voice from behind Sanghyuk. Youngbae and Sanghyuk turned to face the newcomer – or rather, the newcomer _s_. Sanghyuk sucked in a sharp breath, a reaction that Youngbae mirrored, though for different reasons.

Jaehwan stood behind the leader of the newcomers, his gaze on Sanghyuk. Beside him was Taekwoon, eyes locked on Jiyong’s form. Their leader looked perfectly serene, though there was something in his eyes that led Sanghyuk to believe he _felt_ quite the opposite.

“Might I inquire as to _why_ you two are intruding on my territory?”

Sanghyuk swallowed hard, and looked at Youngbae, who just looked mortified. But before either of them could speak, Jaehwan did, voice quiet and shaking with fear. “Hakyeon, I can explain-”

“No.”

“Hakyeon-”

“I said _no_ , Jaehwan.” The Seer opened his mouth to speak again, and then closed his mouth. “I’d like to hear it from them.” The Alpha’s - _Hakyeon_ ’s – gaze landed first on Youngbae, holding him in place for a few moments, before sweeping over the others to land on Sanghyuk. When they finally broke eye contact, Sanghyuk let out a noise very much akin to a whimper, eyes instinctually finding Jaehwan. The Seer bit his lip, never once looking away from the Omega in front of him, but he didn’t speak.

“Shall I kill them, Hakyeon?”

“No.” Hakyeon and Jaehwan answered in unison, but only Hakyeon continued. “No, not yet. I want to know why they’re here, and what business they think they have on my territory.” He looked at Jiyong, and then cocked his head to the side in thought. “Are you their Alpha?”

Jiyong’s jaw clenched, eyes flashing dangerously. “Yes. What’s it to you?”

Hakyeon clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “You’re awfully hostile, considering that it’s _my_ territory that your Tribemates are standing on.” He came forward, stepping in between Youngbae and Sanghyuk before coming to stand at the edge of his territory. “You know; I don’t think I like you very much.” Jiyong looked ready to speak, but Hakyeon cut him off. “No, I don’t think I like you at all.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel, and walked away. Youngbae made to slip back over the border, but before he could move more than five feet, Taekwoon had caught his wrist, and yanked him backwards, hand circling around his throat when he noticed Daesung and Seungri coming towards them. “Go ahead. Try it. I dare you.”

Sanghyuk’s eyes still hadn’t left Jaehwan. The Seer had come to stand in front of him, conflict written all over his face. “I’m sorry. I have to. I’ll talk to Hakyeon, I promise, just please don’t fight me. I don’t want to hurt you.” Sanghyuk nodded once, as Jaehwan slid his hands underneath Sanghyuk’s jaw. He closed his eyes, murmuring a few quiet words under his breath, and after a few seconds, Sanghyuk went limp in his grip. “Oh, gods, why are you so _heavy_?”

Jaehwan exchanged a glance with Taekwoon, who nodded once, a struggling Youngbae still in his grasp. The Beta rolled his eyes, and then, with one quick, practiced movement, knocked him out.

***

When Youngbae came to, he was inside a dark cave – or he assumed it was a cave, given its appearance. A young man was sitting by what he _assumed_ was the exit, gaze on Youngbae’s form, fingers tapping anxiously against his thigh. When he noticed that Youngbae had woken, he sighed softly, shifting ever so slightly.

“Where in the-”

“Dungeon. Hakyeon’s dungeon, if you want me to be specific.” He stretched his legs out in front of him, wincing when he heard his knee pop. “You were out for a long time. I think it’s night, by now.” Youngbae hummed quietly. “I’m Hongbin, by the way. And you’re…it’s Youngbae, right? Jaehwan mentioned you. You’re Sanghyuk’s friend.”

“I…yeah.” Youngbae looked around. “Where _is_ Sanghyuk?”

Hongbin bit his lip. “He’s with Jaehwan, I think.” He swallowed. “Actually, forget I said that. I’m not supposed to talk about it. Hakyeon’s pissed, and Jaehwan is pissed, and Taekwoon is pissed, and Wonshik is just kind of there, and I’m stuck down here guarding you, and it’s just a mess.” After a moment of silence, he swore quietly under his breath. “Forget I said any of that.”

“Sure thing, kid.”

Hongbin gaped at him for a moment. “I am _not_ a _kid_!”

“Sure thing, kid.”

That time, Youngbae said it just to see how furious he could make the poor kid. Hongbin went bright red, sputtering in protest, but unable to get any words out. Youngbae laughed quietly, before turning away, quite content to leave Hongbin like that.

He wasn’t expecting Hongbin to attack him.

Kid or not, he knew what he was doing, and he wasn’t afraid to use that skill on Youngbae. And it _hurt_. “Don’t call me a _kid_.” Youngbae pulled himself up into a seated position, avoiding Hongbin’s eyes.

“That fucking- _ow_!” Hongbin’s Spirit lashed out once more, knocking Youngbae to the floor, before receding. “Okay, okay, I get it. You’re not a kid.” Hongbin huffed quietly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you that.”

Hongbin turned on his heel, and stormed out of the dungeon, leaving Youngbae alone in the darkness.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OCT= Kyuken is OTP and Jiyong is a Whiny Bitch

“Why didn’t you tell me, Jaehwan?”

“Oh, trust me, Hakyeon, I _tried_ , but you weren’t _listening_ to me.”

Hakyeon sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I was a little caught up in what was going on. I should have listened, and I didn’t. I apologize.” Jaehwan sniffed delicately. “I’m glad you’ve found him, you know. We may fight a lot, Jaehwan, but you’re still my best friend, and you deserve to be happy.”

“So-”

“Yes, he can stay, so long as that’s what he wants.” Hakyeon sighed again. “Provided his Alpha respects that, and doesn’t try to murder us once he finds out the truth.”

Their gentle words woke Sanghyuk, but he didn’t move, far too comfortable to bother with turning to look at them. “I think Hongbin and Youngbae are – or were, rather – fighting.”

Hakyeon snorted. “That was to be expected. I can’t _believe_ Taekwoon thought it would be a good idea to have Hongbin watch him first.” Jaehwan laughed quietly. “I’ll talk to Hongbin. I _did_ listen, Jaehwan, when you told me that Youngbae is one of the Spirits you Saw. And,” Hakyeon paused in thought, “if we play our cards right, we might be able to use his power to our advantage.”

Jaehwan hummed quietly in affirmation. “Thank you, Hakyeon.” Hakyeon didn’t speak, but Sanghyuk heard him move towards what he assumed was the exit. “Tell Taekwoon I’m sorry for punching him, even if you have to lie through your teeth.”

With those words, Hakyeon was gone.

“I’m sorry that I had to do that.” Sanghyuk rolled over as Jaehwan spoke, his eyes quickly finding the Seer. “But I spoke to Hakyeon. I think…I think he understands.” Sanghyuk nodded sleepily, gaze never leaving Jaehwan’s form. “You heard all of that, didn’t you?” Another nod. “Oh. I…sorry.”

Sanghyuk laughed, that time, turning his face into the pillow to muffle the sound. “You’re so _stupid_.” When he looked back up at the Seer, he had to bite back more laughter as he pushed himself into a seated position. “No, no, I’m not insulting you. It’s adorable, really, Jaehwan.” The Seer had turned bright red, his jaw clenched with an odd combination of mortification and stubbornness. “Come here.”

Jaehwan held still for a moment, and then sighed heavily, walking towards Sanghyuk. The Omega held his hands out, and Jaehwan took them. Before he knew what was happening, Sanghyuk had yanked, pulling Jaehwan onto his lap, their noses less than an inch apart. “You are the hugest fucking _idiot_ I have ever met, and I love you.” Jaehwan opened his mouth to argue, but before he could get so much as a word out, Sanghyuk had kissed him, their lips touching gently, once, twice, a third time, before Sanghyuk pulled back. Jaehwan let out a noise that was very much akin to a whimper, and Sanghyuk smiled gently, before kissing him one more time. “Fucking idiot.”

Jaehwan laughed breathlessly, arms winding around Sanghyuk’s neck in an attempt to pull himself closer. “I could kiss you forever.”

“I’m not opposed to the idea.”

Another laugh, and then it was Jaehwan’s turn to kiss Sanghyuk. When he pulled back, he swallowed hard, and then spoke, voice hesitant. “Your Tribemate, Youngbae…he, ah, he’s been detained. Hakyeon’s keeping him locked up until we decide what we’re going to do with him.” Sanghyuk nodded slowly, his grip on Jaehwan loosening just a little bit. “I won’t let them kill him, no matter how much Taekwoon wants to.”

“Thank you.” Jaehwan nodded, and then Sanghyuk spoke again. “And Jiyong? What happened to him?”

Jaehwan hesitated. “We…we aren’t sure. I haven’t heard anything, from the Hunters, or from Hakyeon or Taekwoon, which probably means that Jiyong hasn’t tried anything. Yet.” Sanghyuk raised an eyebrow. “That being said, perhaps something has happened that I haven’t been told about. Or perhaps they just don’t _know_ if he plans to try anything.”

“He’s not an idiot. He’s missing two of his Tribemates, he won’t attack your Tribe, not when he’s outnumber, and not if he thinks we’re in danger.”

Jaehwan looked hesitant to believe it. “I don’t know. I don’t know Jiyong, but I know his type. He’s reckless, his power coupled with his fear makes him that way, and that makes him unpredictable. I don’t like when I can’t predict what people are going to do.” He shifted in Sanghyuk’s grip. “He’s more powerful than you give him credit for, Sanghyuk.”

“Are you afraid of him?”

Jaehwan bit his lip. “I…I don’t know.” He paused, avoiding Sanghyuk’s gaze. “I don’t _think_ I am. I think I’m more afraid of him hurting you than I am of anything else.” Sanghyuk nodded, opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak, Jaehwan cut him off. “Don’t forget, you betrayed him. You know that, and you probably know that he won’t take that lightly. You walked away from everything he had given you. That’s not something most people can just shrug off.”

Sanghyuk nodded again. “I know, and I’m more than willing to deal with his anger, when I have to face it. But,” he paused, “not right now. Right now, you’re my priority.”

***

“Jiyong, stop. Pacing like that won’t bring them back to us any faster.”

The Alpha looked up, growling in his throat, when Seungri spoke. “I don’t _want_ them back, Seungri, I want them _dead_. They betrayed me, they betrayed you, they betrayed the Tribe. I cannot, will not, forgive that, and I will not let it go until they are punished for their mistake.” 

Seungri sighed heavily, and glanced at Daesung before he spoke again. “Are you telling us that, or are you just trying to convince yourself?” Jiyong froze in place, eyes wide as he stared at the Hunter in front of him. “Jiyong, we know you. I’ve known you since forever. I _know_ when you’re lying. I’m not an idiot.” Jiyong nodded once, though Seungri couldn’t tell if he was affirming the first statement, or the second one. “You want them back. You don’t want to kill them.”


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OCT= Neo, Hyuken, Onew Cameo, and Jiyong Finally Arrives

Almost as soon as Sanghyuk and Jaehwan entered the room, they saw Taekwoon stiffen. “Hakyeon. You have guests.”

The man in front of Hakyeon turned, and then flushed bright red when he spotted Jaehwan and Sanghyuk. The Alpha himself grinned, using one hand to turn his companion’s head back to face him. “Hush, Taekwoon. I know.” He pulled away from his companion, and then spoke again, voice soft. “I’ll contact you when it’s time. Until then, keep your Tribemates in line, Onew.”

“I will.”

Hakyeon smiled at him, though even from here, Sanghyuk could tell that it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Good. Then you’re free to go.” His companion – Onew – backed away slowly, before turning, and walking quickly out of the room. “Jaehwan, Sanghyuk. What can I do for you?”

Jaehwan shared a look with Sanghyuk, and then turned back to Hakyeon. “How’s Youngbae?” Hakyeon cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Sanghyuk’s friend. The Seer.”

“Oh. Him.” Hakyeon sighed quietly. “He’s fine. Alive. Rather unhappy with the way things are right now, but that is to be expected. I could hardly let him roam free, not when his lovely Alpha is so very desperate to get him back.” Jaehwan nodded. “Is that all you wanted?”

“No.” Taekwoon pressed his lips together in a line as Jaehwan continued. “I…speaking of Jiyong, has he…has he tried anything? Have any of them?”

“Not that I’ve heard, no.” Hakyeon sank into a chair as he spoke, gaze locked on Sanghyuk. “How is your darling pet?”

Jaehwan looked back and forth from Sanghyuk to Hakyeon a few times before he spoke. “He’s not my _pet_ , Hakyeon. He’s my _mate_ , thank you very much. How would you like it if I started referring to Taekwoon as your little _pet_?”

“First of all, Jaehwan, Taekwoon is not _little_ by any means.” After a moment of attempting to comprehend that, Sanghyuk flushed, turning away from Hakyeon. “Second, I was _kidding_. I know he isn’t your pet.” And, under his breath, “you’re the bottom in that relationship, anyway.” 

Jaehwan looked outraged, but didn’t lash out at Hakyeon. His grip on Sanghyuk’s hand tightened, and the Omega winced, but didn’t speak. “Fine. Thank you, Hakyeon.” Without another word, he turned on his heel, and walked away, pulling Sanghyuk with him. “Fucking asshole.” Sanghyuk laughed quietly, trying to smother the sound in his hand, but Jaehwan heard it. “What is so _funny_ about my humiliation?”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. Hakyeon adores you. You know that.”

“Ha. That’s cute.”

Sanghyuk rolled his eyes. “Don’t play dumb, Jaehwan. You’re perfectly aware that the only reason he was being like that was because he and Taekwoon wanted to fuck, and you interrupted them.” Jaehwan flushed, and looked away. “It’s alright, Jaehwan. Onew got in the way too. I think he got it worse than we did.”

They crossed the court yard, stopping only when they reached the gate that led out into the forest. “Wait.” Jaehwan’s hand on Sanghyuk’s waist tightened. “Do you feel that?”

“Feel what?”

Jaehwan raised a finger to his lips, and Sanghyuk pressed his together in a thin line. The Seer released him, and stepped out of the gate, closing it after Sanghyuk followed him out. “Follow me.” He led the way into the forest, following a trail that Sanghyuk couldn’t see. Jaehwan put one hand out in front of him, touching his fingertips to a tree. “This way.”

Sanghyuk’s fingers found Jaehwan’s palm, and he leaned against him as much as he could as they walked. Something was wrong, that much he could tell, he just didn’t know what.

“Stop.” Jaehwan yanked Sanghyuk to a stop, eyes narrowing as he gazed out into the shadows. “Go back to the others. Find Wonshik, or Hongbin, or _someone_ , and tell them that we have a problem.”

“What kind of problem?”

“A _Jiyong_ problem.”

Sanghyuk froze, and then nodded once, before scampering off into the trees, leaving Jaehwan alone.

“That’s a low blow, using my own Tribemate against me.” Jiyong spoke quietly as he stepped out of the shadows in front of Jaehwan. “Although, I can’t say I expected you to play fair.” He came to a stop in front of Jaehwan. “I want them back.”

“I know. Unfortunately for you, that’s not my call to make. You’d have to talk to Hakyeon.” Jaehwan didn’t move, even when Jiyong came closer. “Would you like to speak with him?”

Jiyong’s eyes narrowed. “Fine.”

“Fine.” Jaehwan turns on his heel, and that was when Jiyong attacked, Spirit lashing out in front of him, fire burning its way through the air, straight at Jaehwan.

But then Jaehwan’s Spirit was rearing its head, without the Seer even having turned, swallowing the fire from Jiyong’s Dragon and taking that power for itself. And before Jiyong can process what’s happening, he’s on the ground, Jaehwan quite literally sitting on his chest, hands holding Jiyong’s wrists the ground, the heat of his Spirit making it hard for the Alpha to breath.

“Well, that was just _rude_ , little Dragon.” Jiyong growled, teeth grinding together in fury. “Oh, please. You don’t know what you’re doing, with your Tribe, with that pretty little Spirit of yours.” Jiyong tried to lash out again, but Jaehwan held him in place effortlessly. “So much power, so much potential, and it was all wasted on _you_.”

Hakyeon was there, pulling Jaehwan off of Jiyong, before either of them knew what was happening. “Let him go, Jae. Leave him be. Let me handle this.” After a moment, Jaehwan nodded, going limp. Hakyeon released him, and then Sanghyuk was there, pulling Jaehwan against his chest. Hakyeon joined Wonshik beside Jiyong, gaze critical as the Hunter helped Jiyong into a seated position. “Wonshik, go back to the others. Tell Hongbin and Taekwoon that we’re going to have guests. I want the Seer brought out of the dungeon, but don’t let him leave, unless Taekwoon is with him. Am I clear?” 

“You got it, boss.” 

“Then go.” 

Wonshik nodded, and got to his feet, before running back into the forest. Sanghyuk exchanged a glance with Hakyeon, and they followed Wonshik, though slower, leaving Jiyong and Hakyeon alone.

“Well, this is certainly going to get interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to get another chapter out today.
> 
> *hint* comments and kudos inspire me to keep working *end hint*
> 
> Tumblr: ourkindauthor.tumblr.com


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OCT= The Deal, Also Jiyong Being a Whiny Bitch

“So, Jiyong,” Hakyeon waved nonchalantly at Taekwoon and Hongbin as he sank into his seat, and they slipped out of the room, leaving the two Alphas alone. “Tell me, what brings you here?”

“You know damn well what brings me here. You _kidnapped_ my Tribemates, and then your Seer _attacked_ me.”

Hakyeon cocked his head to the side in thought, and Jiyong fell silent, chest heaving. He was angry, he was far beyond angry, and it showed. His Spirit was lashing out sporadically, the bright fire contrasting exquisitely with the darkness of the room. “If I remember correctly, and I do, _you_ attacked Jaehwan first. He was merely defending himself, especially considering you attacked whilst his back was turned. That’s very poor form, Jiyong.”

“Do I _look_ like I-”

“Care? No, but you care about your Tribemates, and so you’re going to sit there and listen to every word that I have to say, because trust me, Jiyong, if you don’t, you will _never_ see them again.” Hakyeon smiled serenely when he finished speaking, and then leaned backwards in his seat. “Now, shall we begin?”

After a long silence, Jiyong nodded once, jaw clenched. Hakyeon’s smile became a full blown grin, and, after a moment of tense silence, he got to his feet. “Now, correct me if I’m wrong – which I’m not – Jaehwan made you an offer, that said something along the lines of ‘if you help us, we can train you how to use your Spirits better’, yes?” Another nod. “Now, besides the fact that it was irrational of him to do so, considering he _knew_ , or at least _suspected_ how you would react, that deal would make sense. Had you not tried to kill him later on.

“Your Tribemates left your Tribe, and came to mine, by their own volition. They were not forced, they were not coerced, they made that choice on their own. I did absolutely nothing, I didn’t even know they were coming until they got here. Jaehwan didn’t know, though he suspected. So, something tells me that they like the _idea_ of my Tribe more than they liked the reality of yours. Can you really blame them for leaving?”

“They were lied to.”

“Mm, no. Because Jaehwan and Sanghyuk _are_ mates, even an idiot like you could see that. And Jaehwan didn’t lie, we are more than capable of training them to use their Spirits better than they do currently. And it would _appear_ , Jiyong, that they’d rather do our dirty work than spend another day with you as their Alpha.” Hakyeon had been circling Jiyong’s seat, but now he came to a halt right in front of him. “Jaehwan’s offer may have been irrational, but mine is not. I’m only going to offer once, Jiyong, and I am telling you right now, if you do not take it, then you are welcome to leave, _without_ your Seer.”

Jiyong held still, their gazes locked, breath caught in his throat. It took him a few moments to collect his thoughts enough to even consider what Hakyeon had just said. “I…fine.”

“Good.” Hakyeon smirked, and sank back into his seat. “We will take your Tribe under our proverbial wings. We will train you, all of you, if that’s what you want. We will give your Tribe a _home_ , and a _purpose_. Sanghyuk gets to stay with Jaehwan. You get to have your Seer.”

“And what do you get out of it?”

“Interrupting is rude, Jiyong, I was getting there.” Hakyeon glared at him for a long moment, before continuing. “If you agree to those terms, you agree to become an extension of my Tribe. You do as _I_ say. If I tell you that a certain Spirit user needs to be killed, you or one of your Tribemates kills them. And if I tell you that a Tribe needs to be destroyed-”

“Then we destroy it.”

Hakyeon’s nostrils flared in irritation, but he nodded. “Yes.” He leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees. “So, tell me, Jiyong. Do you accept, or do I get to kill you?”

***

Youngbae jumped when Hongbin entered the dungeon, the door falling open with a crash. Before he knew what was happening, Hongbin had grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him to his feet, slamming the Seer against the wall, and growling, low in his throat. “This is _your_ fault!”

“I…what?” 

“Oh, don’t play dumb, you know what you’ve done, you know what your _Alpha_ ,” he sneered the word, “has done, so don’t pretend that you’re oh so innocent in this, because you’re _not_ , you know it, and I know it.”

“Hongbin, that’s quite enough.” Taekwoon came to stand behind Hongbin’s shoulder, but made no move to help Youngbae. “He doesn’t know. _Jiyong_ didn’t know about the deal, not until Hakyeon told him the terms. So if you’re going to blame someone, blame their stupid Alpha. Not the Seer who’s been locked in our dungeon for the past three days.”

After a long pause, Hongbin sighed heavily, and released Youngbae. The Seer dropped to his feet, growling, but didn’t attack. He knew better. “What are you talking about? What _deal_? What did Jiyong do?”

They all fell silent when Hakyeon joined them, Jiyong standing at his shoulder. “ _Jiyong_ made the right decision.”

Jiyong glanced up at Youngbae once, and then looked away. “Wait, _what_?” Youngbae looked at Hakyeon for a long time, but when the Alpha offered no explanation, he turned to Jiyong. “Ji, what’s he talking about? What is going _on_?”

“I…” Jiyong bit his lip, avoiding Youngbae’s gaze. “I did what I had to do to keep you safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, two in one day. I wanted to do that because I have work tomorrow and the next day and so I probably won't be able to post, but I'll try to get a new chapter out by the end of the week.
> 
> tumblr - ourkindauthor.tumblr.com


	9. Chapter Nine

“Please don’t ignore me.”

Sanghyuk looked up quickly, eyes finding Jiyong standing at the edge of the clearing, half hidden in shadows. He didn’t speak, but the look in Jiyong’s eyes said more than enough. “He doesn’t want to talk to you, and frankly, I don’t either. Please respect that.” 

“Sanghyuk-”

“Jiyong, _stop_. Stop trying to…to explain yourself.” Sanghyuk let out a shaky breath. “I think…I don’t want to have to say this to you, Jiyong, believe me.” The Alpha pressed his lips together in a thin line. “You know, Youngbae and I would have gone home with you, if you had apologized like a _normal_ person. I would have respected you, if you hadn’t…hadn’t decided to let your _temper_ get the best of you, like you always do.”

“I-”

“Well, it’s too late now, isn’t it?” Sanghyuk silenced Jiyong, voice quiet. “You realize, I hope, that you’ve made us slaves. You’ve made your Tribe, _our_ Tribe, slaves, something you swore would never happen.” Jiyong opened his mouth to argue, but Sanghyuk cut him off. “No. You made us a _promise_ , Ji, and now…now you’ve broken it. And I don’t think I can trust you, not after that.” Jiyong swallowed hard. “I tried, you know, to justify it, in my head. I _wanted_ to believe that you had our best interests at heart, but…I just _can’t_.”

Jiyong nodded slowly, but Sanghyuk could tell that he was only doing that to make Sanghyuk feel better about himself. “I…can I talk to Youngbae, please? I need to apologize.”

“I don’t think-”

“No, Sanghyuk, it’s fine.” Sanghyuk sighed, and then nodded, before stepping out of the way. He didn’t leave, but he did move closer to the trees, and further from Youngbae. “He’s not wrong, Jiyong, about any of that. You did break that promise.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s too late, don’t you understand that? You’ve already done it, you can’t go back and change that, because you _know_ what Hakyeon will do if you try. And I wouldn’t want you to do it anyways. I don’t want you to get hurt, I don’t want you to be killed, but I wish you would have paused to think about how to rest of us would react before you agreed to something of this gravity. Because that wasn’t just a _you_ decision, Jiyong, that was a Tribe decision, and while you may be our Alpha, you cannot take liberties like that, especially if you don’t know what that will mean for the rest of us.”

Jiyong’s lower lip trembled, but before anything could happen – tears or otherwise – Taekwoon had appeared out of nowhere beside him. “Youngbae, Sanghyuk, Jaehwan wants to speak with the both of you. Jiyong, Hakyeon wants me to introduce you to the Hunters, if you don’t mind.” Jiyong nodded once, and Taekwoon led him away, leaving Youngbae and Sanghyuk alone.

The Seer sighed quietly, and looked away from Sanghyuk’s expectant gaze. “Why are you still here, Sanghyuk?”

“I’m worried, Youngbae. About you.” The Seer snorted. “Don’t give me that. I’ve only known you for a few months, but I know you well enough. I’m not stupid, so don’t treat me like I am.” He came closer to Youngbae, despite the look of discomfort on the Seer’s face. “You’re hurting, inside, and I want to help.” Sanghyuk reached out with one hand, and put it on Youngbae’s shoulder, but he shrugged out from underneath it. “Please don’t shut me out.” Youngbae sighed quietly. “Tell me what’s wrong. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s happening.”

“Maybe I don’t _want_ your help, Sanghyuk, did you ever think about that?” Sanghyuk flinched away from him, gaze dropping to the ground in fear. “I…fuck, Sanghyuk, I’m so sorry, I-”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t know what else I was expecting, from _you_.”

“What in the _hell_ is that supposed to mean?”

Sanghyuk glared at him. “You’re doing this again, the same thing you always do, where you shut everyone out, and I _hate_ it. I want to be your friend, I _try_ to be your friend, but you never let me get any closer to you! I’m sick of _pushing_ , Youngbae, because you never give, all you ever do is push me away. Someday, that’s going to come back to smack you in the face, and when it does, I won’t be there to help you. _No one_ will, because that’s how _horrible_ you are to us.”

Sanghyuk fell silent, chest heaving, and Youngbae simply gazed at him for a long time. “I…I’m sorry, Sanghyuk, I didn’t…I didn’t _know_.”

“No, you did.” Sanghyuk turned on his heel, and walked away, but stopped just before he vanished. “Youngbae, I want to believe that you didn’t know, but you did, and that’s why I’m upset. Because you _knew_ you were hurting the Tribe, and you never did anything about it.”

Without another word, Sanghyuk vanished into the forest leaving Youngbae alone.

***

“Do you feel it?”

Youngbae let out a shaky breath, nodding. “I…yes.” He fought not to shudder when he felt soft touches on his shoulders. “What _is_ it?”

His companion laughed quietly. “It’s you.” Cold breath washed over the back of his neck, and Youngbae did shudder that time. “It is your Spirit, an integral part of who you are as a person. The part of you that can See, that can travel between this world and our world.” Youngbae made a soft noise in his throat. “If it dies, if someone destroys your Spirit, then you die as well.”

“How do I use it?”

“You bring it into our world. No mortal body can withstand what a Spirit can do.” After a short silence, he spoke again. “You can feel it, can’t you? In our world, you can feel it in the back of your head.”

“Always.”

“If you want him to come out and play, Youngbae, all you have to do is let him. He’ll do what you ask, whatever it may be.”

“How can he See the future?”

His companion shrugged. “No one really knows. Some Spirits are gifted with the Sight. It allows them to look forward, to See what might happen in the future. Some Seers are gifted at using their Spirits to heal others. Some can poison others. Others – like Jaehwan – can do anything you’ve ever imagined with their Spirits.”

“How do they _heal_ something?”

“It’s a gift, just like your Sight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to post at least 2 chapters this weekend.
> 
> Ourkindauthor.tumblr.com


	10. Chapter Ten

It had been a month.

And Jiyong hated himself.

Youngbae and Sanghyuk still weren’t speaking to him. They always had an excuse to not be around him, to leave as soon as they found themselves alone with him. Sanghyuk had grown; he was taller than Jiyong. Youngbae hadn’t changed at all, so far as anyone could see, but they could tell that something was… _off_ about him.

Hakyeon thrived on the hatred that thrummed in the air between them. He was using them,   
Jiyong knew that. He was using Sanghyuk and Youngbae and Seungri and Daesung’s fury at Jiyong to do his bidding.

It all snapped one day, when Hakyeon was telling them about a Tribe out East that needed taking care of. And of _course_ he was sending all of them.

“Why do we all have to go?”

Hakyeon sighed, and turned to gaze at Jiyong. “Because I’d rather have all five of you go, and it not be an issue, than send two of you, and get you both killed. Is it really that difficult for you to understand?”

Jiyong’s upper lip twitched in irritation. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

He made a soft, indignant noise. “Isn’t that obvious?”

Hakyeon cocked his head to the side in thought. “No. No, I don’t think it is. Do enlighten me, Jiyong.”

“He doesn’t want us to be with him, because he knows he made a mistake, and he knows that we’re still bitter about it. Really, Hakyeon, it is obvious.” When Youngbae finished speaking, he leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

“No, I don’t want to go with you because you’re fucking _stupid_ , Youngbae!”

Everyone in the room could feel the way Jiyong’s Spirit lashed out at Youngbae.

But no one was expecting Youngbae to retaliate.

He was thrown back against the wall before he realized that Youngbae had even moved. Some invisible force held him there, hot and heavy, pinning his body in place. Jiyong could feel the anger and fury and hate vibrating in the air around him, and he struggled, but he was trapped. Youngbae was glaring at him, gaze dark, one hand extended out in front of him.

It took the others a moment to realize that this was really happening.

Jaehwan was the first to move. He flitted to Youngbae’s side, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Youngbae, let him go. He’s not worth it, just walk away.” Youngbae growled out of the corner of his mouth. “Let him go, or I will _make_ you let him go.”

When Youngbae didn’t comply, Jaehwan sighed heavily. “Youngbae, please. I don’t want to do this to you.” Youngbae growled again, and Jaehwan rolled his eyes. “You’re insatiable.” Without another word, he removed his hand from Youngbae’s shoulder, and then, with one quick, practiced movement, allowed it to shoot out again, connecting with Youngbae’s shoulder, and, with a surge of power from his Spirit, sending the other Seer stumbling backwards.

Behind him, he could hear Hakyeon and Taekwoon speaking quietly to each other. They had been _betting_ on whether Jiyong or Youngbae would snap first, the stupid brats, and from the sound of it, Taekwoon had won. Jiyong always got a little upset when he lost to Taekwoon, but Jaehwan really couldn’t afford to deal with that right now.

Jiyong had collapsed onto the floor when Youngbae’s Spirit had released him, and had now gotten to his feet, hands shaking. “Jiyong, don’t. Just…just leave.”

After a moment of hesitation, Jiyong nodded, and slipped out of the room.

Hakyeon had come to stand at Jaehwan’s shoulder, and the Seer could feel his anger thrumming underneath his skin. He was angry, that much Jaehwan could tell. He was _beyond_ angry, and Jaehwan wasn’t entirely sure as to why. “Hakyeon.”

“Jaehwan.”

“What would you have me do?”

Hakyeon sighed. “In any other situation, I would tell you to kill him.”

“But?”

“This isn’t one of those other situations. I thought that I was obvious, even to _you_.” Jaehwan ignored the jibe, kept his attention focused on Youngbae, who was still on the ground. He looked a little startled, almost as though he hadn’t believed Jaehwan would do it. “Did you teach him how to do that?”

“No.” Hakyeon raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t. You have my word. I don’t know where he learned to do that.”

“Interesting.” Hakyeon cocked his head to the side in thought. “Very interesting.” He glanced over his shoulder at Taekwoon. “Send a message to Onew. Tell him I want to speak with him, and that he should bring his Seer along.” Taekwoon nodded wordlessly, and slipped out of the room, leaving Hakyeon and Jaehwan alone with Youngbae. “Keep Sanghyuk away. I know Jiyong’s spoken to him, and I know he wants to confront Youngbae, but I don’t need him interfering right now.” As Jaehwan left, Hakyeon gazed at Youngbae. “I was so hopeful, you know. I hoped that you’d be willing to do what Jiyong asked. I hoped you’d be willing to do what I asked. It would appear that I was wrong.”

Youngbae glared up at him. “Well, that was stupid of you.” Hakyeon smiled, but it was clear that he wasn’t laughing. “Jiyong was right, you shouldn’t send the five of us together. Sanghyuk and I would end up killing him.”

Hakyeon laughed that time. “I’m aware.” He stepped away, before continuing. “You don’t have a _mate_ , do you, Youngbae?” The Seer didn’t answer, eyes narrow. “You’d like to think Jiyong’s supposed to be yours, but he’s not, and you know it.” Youngbae looked away, avoiding Hakyeon’s gaze. “You aren’t angry because he called you stupid, you’re angry because you love him, and he doesn’t love you. He doesn’t know.” A long moment of silence, and then Youngbae nodded, jaw clenched. “You can leave, Youngbae, if you want. I won’t force you to stay, if you’re that unhappy here. You’re allowed to go, and I won’t send anyone after you. But if you choose to stay, you need to understand that _I_ am this Tribe’s Alpha, and that you need to respect that.”


	11. Chapter Eleven

“Are you sure…” Jaehwan took a deep breath, and exchanged a glance with Sanghyuk. “Hakyeon, are you sure you want him to do this? It…you are aware that it could kill them both?”

“I know, Jaehwan.”

Hakyeon looked ready to say more, but he was silenced when the Seer on his other side spoke, voice quiet. “I can do it, Jaehwan. I know what I’m doing.”

Jaehwan pressed his lips together in a thin line. “I…yes, I know you _can_ , Taemin, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to work this time. This…Spirits are complicated. What works one time, might not work the second time. And Youngbae’s Spirit…it’s complex, far more so than the others you’ve practiced on. I don’t…I don’t think you should be treating this as lightly as you are.”

“I’m _not_ , Jae. I’m not…I would never treat something like this lightly. This is his _life_ on the line, I understand that. And I _know_ I can do it.” Taemin glanced at Hakyeon, and then looked over at Onew. “Look, Jaehwan, if you’re so nervous, why don’t you just come along with me?”

Jaehwan blinked quickly. “Not possible. Youngbae’s Spirit would push mine out before we could even get started. It has to be someone else.”

“So get off of my ass, and let me _work_.”

Jaehwan paused, and then nodded slowly. Taemin turned away from him, exhaling in a long, loud gust, gaze finding Onew’s once more. The Alpha shrugged, and then looked at Hakyeon. “Is Jiyong alright with this?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes.” The answer came, not from Onew or Taemin, but from Minho, who hadn’t spoken until that moment. “Of course it does. Youngbae is his best friend, his Seer. I think he deserves a say in this.” Hakyeon sighed, and turned to Taekwoon, who nodded, and slipped out of the room. Before long, he returned, Jiyong in tow. Onew gazed at him for a long moment, an unrecognizable look in his eyes, before Minho snagged the Alpha’s attention. “Jiyong, we have a question for you.” The Alpha nodded once. “Hakyeon wants Taemin,” Minho motioned towards the Seer, who smiled tightly, “to pry inside of Youngbae’s head, and figure out what he’s hiding. Are you alright with this?”

After a moment of deliberation, Jiyong turned towards Hakyeon. “Why would he be hiding anything?” Hakyeon cocked his head to the side, as if he believed that to be a perfectly valid answer. “I…fine. Not like my opinion matters, anyway.”

Without another word, he turned away, slipping out of the room. Hakyeon sighed heavily, but then looked at Taemin. “So you can do it.”

“Yes.”

“And you aren’t going to kill him.”

“Unless he tries to kill me, no, I won’t.”

After a long moment of deliberation, Hakyeon nodded. “Fine. Do what you need to.” Taemin smiled tightly at him, and then looked at Jaehwan. The Seer pressed his lips together, nostrils flaring in agitation, but he didn’t contest Hakyeon’s decision. “Jaehwan, Sanghyuk, get out.” Jaehwan opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it. He nodded, and reached for Sanghyuk’s hand, allowing the Omega to pull him out of the room. “Taekwoon, go get Youngbae for me, would you?” The Beta nodded, leaving them alone once more.

Taemin glanced at Onew, and then Minho, before finally looking back at Hakyeon. “I will do everything in my power to find out where he learned to do what he did, believe me. But if he tries to hurt me, if he tries to _kill_ me, I will have no choice but to destroy his Spirit. It’s him, or me, in this, and we both know what I’ll choose.”

“Yes.”

Taemin nodded, and then turned towards Minho, leading him towards the corner, their voices a gentle murmur. Onew looked hesitant to be this close to Hakyeon without his Tribemates, but before he could get too uncomfortable, Hakyeon spoke quietly. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. I know it must be…inconvenient, for you, and your Tribemates, Taemin especially.” Onew shrugged. “Onew, I mean it. Thank you.”

Onew swallowed. “I…you’re welcome.”

Before Hakyeon could say anything else, Taekwoon returned, Youngbae in tow. The Seer looked absolutely mutinous, but at the moment, Hakyeon didn’t care. Before long, Taemin and Minho rejoined them. Youngbae took one look at Taemin, at Onew, at Hakyeon, and he understood, in about a second, what was going on.

But before he could do anything, Minho had moved, coming to stand behind Youngbae in a split second. He pulled the Seer’s arms backwards, pinning him in place, as Taemin came forward. He slipped his hands underneath Youngbae’s jaw, gazing deep into his eyes, before allowing his Spirit to flow out of his body, and meet Youngbae’s.

***

Sanghyuk smiled when he felt Jaehwan’s hands on his shoulders, felt that lean body press up tight against his back. “Are you worried about him? Youngbae, I mean.”

“No, not really, no.”

“You know Taemin might end up killing him, right? Might kill your Seer?” Sanghyuk shrugged, one hand coming up to hold onto Jaehwan’s forearm. “You trust him not to.” Sanghyuk nodded once, exhaling in one loud gust. “That’s an awful lot of trust you’ve got in someone who you met an hour ago.”

“Taemin is a trustworthy person. He…I don’t know him, but I know his type, well enough, anyways. I can trust him. He won’t kill Youngbae, unless he has to, and if he has to, then I don’t mind.” Sanghyuk fell silent, for a long moment, before he spoke again. “Jaehwan, are _you_ worried about Youngbae?”

“I…no, why would I be?”

Sanghyuk laughed, though the sound was humorless. “You can be worried, Jaehwan. He is, I suppose, your Tribemate too. You are the one who brought him here, it only serves that you want to keep him alive, for whatever reason.” Sanghyuk turned, now, in Jaehwan’s grip, to face the Seer. “I love you.”

“As I love you.”

Sanghyuk smiled, a real, genuine smile. “And that’s what matters, right? That we’re here, together, and that we have each other.”

“I…yes.”

Sanghyuk nodded once, and then leaned forward, to press a gentle kiss to Jaehwan’s mouth. “Good. Then stop worrying about him. He’s going to be fine.”


	12. Chapter Twelve

Hakyeon looked up quickly when he heard Hongbin and Wonshik enter the room. “Oh. Good. You’re here. I have work for you to do.” Wonshik nodded once in affirmation, before Hakyeon spoke again. “It’s Jiyong. I’m rather concerned that he intends to run away, and I can’t allow that. Hongbin, I need you to keep an eye on him, and if he tries anything…you need to stop him. I’d rather he not die, but if that’s what it comes to…so be it. If…if it needs to happen, I can make it a lesson for the others.” Hakyeon let out a quiet breath, and then turned to Wonshik. “You’ve felt the…they aren’t intrusions, but they are something of that nature.” Wonshik cocked his head to the side, and then nodded slowly. “Find out what – or who – in the _hell_ is this close to my territory, and dispose of them.”

“You got it, boss.” Wonshik turned to leave, and then paused by the door. “If the… _intruder_ is looking for you, or for one of the others…what would you have me do?”

Hakyeon sighed quietly. “If you believe that they mean no harm to the Tribe, then bring them back with you. But don’t…use your common sense, please.” Wonshik nodded. “Thank you. You can go.” After a moment of hesitation, Wonshik slipped out of the room. “Hongbin.”

“Hakyeon, I…is Youngbae alright?” Hakyeon frowned, but didn’t answer. “I’m sorry, I know…I know. But he…I don’t know. He’s my Tribemate, technically, aren’t I allowed to be worried about him?” Hakyeon didn’t respond. “I haven’t seen Taemin, so I couldn’t ask him, and Jaehwan didn’t witness any of what happened. Please, Hakyeon, if he’s not alright…please tell me.”

Hakyeon sighed quietly, turning away from Hongbin. “He…I don’t know. You’ve heard exactly as much as I have.”

“You mean-”

“Yes.” Hongbin made a quiet noise. “Taemin hasn’t found anything. He hasn’t _left_ the dungeon since they went down there.” Hongbin bit his lip, worried. “I’m not going to go down there and check on them. Taemin doesn’t want anyone to interrupt. Jaehwan will know, if Taemin is in danger.”

Hongbin sighed quietly. “I…alright.” He turned to leave, but Hakyeon stopped him. 

“Hongbin, are you alright?”

“I…” Hongbin fell silent, gaze on the floor. “No. Not really. I don’t know. It’s…they’re my Tribemates now, and I worry about them. I don’t want…I don’t want to have to hurt them, but I know that if they try to betray you, that I will do whatever I have to in order to defend you.” 

Hakyeon nodded slowly. “I understand. I would ask no less of you, of any of you.”

Taekwoon appeared in the doorway, and Hakyeon could see Jaehwan at his shoulder. “Hakyeon, it’s Taemin. He’s…he wants to speak to you.” Hakyeon and Hongbin exchanged a look, and then Hakyeon slipped past the Hunter. He followed Taekwoon out of the room, and down a flight of stairs into the dungeon, where Taemin was sitting cross-legged beside Youngbae’s body.

“He’s not dead, you have my word.” Hakyeon nodded once, before Taemin spoke again. “I can’t read anything in his head. He – or someone else – is blocking me. Whoever it is, they’re stronger than I am, and I cannot get past them, without sacrificing Youngbae in the process.” Hakyeon sighed heavily, and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.”

Hakyeon didn’t respond. He looked at Taekwoon, who nodded once, and slipped out of the room. Jaehwan pressed his lips together, and then spoke, voice soft. “Let me try.” He knelt beside Taemin, and put a hand on his shoulder, his free hand coming down to touch Youngbae’s forehead.

***

_When Jaehwan opened his eyes, his hand was still on Taemin’s shoulder, but now, Youngbae was gone. Well, not_ gone _gone, but he wasn’t lying on the ground anymore. Jaehwan could see Taemin’s Spirit, coiling and hissing and squirming, silently begging the Seer to let him out. He could almost hear it, in the silence of the Spirit Realm._

_His thoughts were silenced when he felt another Spirit approach them, appearing almost out of nowhere, fangs bared, venom welling in its mouth._

_Jaehwan almost regretted coming here._

_Almost._

_Without any warning at all, he turned quickly, arm lashing out to grab the newcomer by the neck, fingers clasping around pale skin, blood pounding underneath his grasp. The Spirit flared, lashing out instinctively, but Jaehwan had been ready for that. In a careful and practiced move, his own Spirit rolled out of his body, forcing the other back, down, inside of its owner, and holding it there, until Jaehwan felt it go limp. Only then did he pull his own back, and release his companion, head cocked to the side in thought. “There was nothing protecting you, was there? You only convinced Taemin of that because you were scared of what he would find. But you weren’t prepared, were you, Youngbae? You weren’t at all prepared for what I would be able to do to you. You aren’t. I could kill you, right now, and there’d be nothing you could do about it.”_

_Youngbae didn’t speak. He simply watched, watched as Jaehwan pulled away, just a few inches, watched as Taemin came forward. Even without looking, Jaehwan could tell that the other Seer was quivering, could feel it in his Spirit. “Where did you learn how to do what you did?”_

_Youngbae laughed quietly. “Wouldn’t_ you _like to know.”_

_“ Well, yes, I would. I’m sure_ Jiyong _would too.” Youngbae hissed quietly, but didn’t speak. “Mm, did I touch a nerve?” Youngbae lunged forward, but Taemin stepped in between him and Jaehwan, his own Spirit forming a barrier between the two of them. “Tell me, Youngbae, or so help me-”_

_“What?” Youngbae demanded. “_ What _will you do, Jaehwan, if I refuse to tell you?”_

_Jaehwan sighed quietly. “Use your brain, Youngbae. What do you_ think _I’ll do? It’s not hard to guess.”_

_“So you’ll kill me?”_

_“Oh, no. No, that’s quite boring. Don’t be_ boring _, Youngbae.” The Seer rolled his eyes. “No, I wouldn’t kill you. If you don’t tell me, Youngbae, I’ll take that pretty little Spirit of yours, and I’ll break it. I won’t kill it, but I’ll torture it, until you tell me.”_

_Youngbae went still, mouth falling open. “You…”_

_“Don’t tell me I wouldn’t. You know that’s a lie.”_


	13. Chapter Thirteen

When Youngbae came to, he had a pounding headache, his mouth and throat and lips dry as a desert. He was in the dungeon, still, the darkness pressing in on him, constricting around his body every time he took a breath. He let out a quiet gasp, trying to comprehend exactly what had happened before everything had gone dark. He remembered that the new Seer – Taemin – had been trying to get into his head, but he had pushed him back enough that he had given up. Then Jaehwan had appeared, bringing Taemin with him, his own Spirit crushing Youngbae’s down until he _couldn’t_ move. Jaehwan had asked where Youngbae had learned to wield his Spirt…and that was where the memories stopped. So whatever Youngbae had said after that…Jaehwan didn’t want him to remember telling.

Only then did Youngbae realize that he wasn’t alone. He glanced over his shoulder, before pushing himself up off of his stomach, and into a seated position, turning to face his companion. The man looked up when Youngbae moved, smiled once, a tight and calculated smile, before speaking. “You’re awake. That’s good. I’m sure Jaehwan will be pleased to hear that.” Youngbae didn’t respond, didn’t so much as blink. “I’m Onew, by the way. Taemin’s Alpha.”

Youngbae exhaled, long and slow, through his nose. “I know. I’m very much aware.”

Onew looked surprised to learn that. “I…alright.” He cocked his head to the side in thought, but didn’t speak further.

“Is there a reason you’re down here?”

Onew shrugged. “My Tribemates had both gone home. Hakyeon still wants to speak with me, but he’s busy dealing with…something else. I’m waiting for him to be done with that. As for why exactly I’m down here…I like the silence.”

“That’s surprising.” Onew raised an eyebrow. “Considering you talk so much.” Onew flushed, looked down at his lap. Even in the darkness, Youngbae could see that the tips of his ears were bright right. “But maybe that’s why you like the silence. Because it means no one else is trying to talk over you.”

Youngbae could feel something in the back of his head, something that he really didn’t like. Something that bothered him, more than perhaps it should have. Something he would rather not be feeling at the moment, would rather not _ever_ feel, because it made him feel _weak_ , and he hated that, because he _wasn’t_. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears, so loud that it took him a few long moments to realize that Onew was staring at him expectantly, implying that he had asked a question that had gone unanswered. From the look on his face, Onew knew that Youngbae was distracted.

“I…sorry, what?” 

“I _asked_ if you wanted to know how any of your Tribemates are doing.” 

“Is Jiyong alright?”

The answer came out more automatically than Youngbae would have liked, and he clamped his jaw shut, willing his brain to _just stop thinking about Jiyong, it doesn’t matter right now,_ he _doesn’t matter right now, please shut up, I’m trying to think_ -

“Youngbae?”

Onew’s gentle voice snapped Youngbae out of his thoughts. “Yeah?”

Onew pressed his lips together in thought, and then sighed quietly. “Jiyong is fine. So are Daesung and Seungri and…and the others.”

“I don’t care about _them_.”

There was venom in his words, venom that made even Youngbae cringe inwardly. Because he didn’t hate them, he really didn’t – except maybe Hakyeon – and they didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. At the same time…well. They were the ones who had forced him into the Spirit realm and probably – he still didn’t remember everything that had happened – forced him to expose information he would rather have kept secret.

“I know you don’t.” Youngbae gazed at Onew. “I just thought I would let you know.”

Without saying anything else, Onew got to his feet. He looked at Youngbae for a long time, almost as if he was trying to take him apart mentally, and make sense of him. He turned on his heel and walked towards the door, but before he left, he stopped, and looked over his shoulder. “They want the best for you, you know. And I do too. Please don’t…please don’t sacrifice your entire life for one person, Youngbae. It _is_ your life.”

With that, he slipped out of the dungeon, leaving Youngbae alone on the floor.

***

“Who are you, and why did you believe it was a good idea to come into my land?”

The intruder looked up, head cocked to the side in thought. “There is someone here that I wish to speak with.”

“Who?” The man looked quite unwilling to speak. “If it’s one of my Tribemates, you’re going to have to go through me. I’m their Alpha.”

“No, you’re not. There are two Alphas on this land. I’m not here for you. I’m here for the other one.”

Hakyeon growled. “ _I’m_ the leader of this Tribe. Me, and no one else. If you want to speak to one of them, you have to convince _me_ to let you. If you can’t do that, then you can leave _my_ territory, and never come back.” With each word, the growling in his throat and chest intensified, until it all but drowned out the words he spoke. “There can only be one Alpha, and that Alpha is _me_. Not him, not ever. Am I understood?”

The intruder smiled. “You’re funny. I like you.” Before Hakyeon had a chance to ask what that meant, the man had lunged forward, grabbing him by the neck, and tackling him to the ground, Spirit lashing out, striking Hakyeon’s own. “Perhaps I’ll keep you.” Hakyeon snarled indignantly, kicking and biting and struggling in every way he knew how, but the man on top of him was stronger.

Before Hakyeon really knew what was happening, another figure had flown out of the trees, and shoved the intruder off of him. They rolled along the forest floor, coming to a halt about 10 feet away. Jaehwan was seated on top of the intruder, and it was clear, from the look in his eyes, that he had the other man’s Spirit locked in a tight grip, and that the only thing stopping his adversary from throwing him off was the fact that he would die if he tried.

“Jaehwan. Kill him.”

“No.”


	14. Chapter Fourteen

“What in the hell do you mean, _no_?” Hakyeon snarled, words harsh and biting, jaw clenched in fury. “That isn’t your call, you _know_ it’s not. _I’m_ the Alpha, not you, and you’d do well to remember it.”

Jaehwan made a soft noise in his throat, shying away from Hakyeon’s glare. His grip on the intruder loosened, and before he knew what was happening, he was being thrown backwards, body connecting with a tree before going limp. The intruder lunged forward, as if to attack him, but he stopped when Sanghyuk appeared, a murderous look on his face. “If you touch him-”

“I won’t.” Sanghyuk raised an eyebrow, and then nodded, dropping to his knees beside Jaehwan. The intruder turned to face Hakyeon, two furious gazes locking. “Where is he?”

“ _No_.”

“Wait.” Seunghyun glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening when he spotted Jiyong.

Everyone could hear it when Jiyong’s heart started pounding.

“Jiyong.”

“ _Seunghyun_.” Jiyong stumbled forward, tripping over his own feet in his haste, but Seunghyun was there to catch him, pulling him tight against his chest. Hakyeon made a quiet noise in his throat, but didn’t move.

“You two _know_ each other?” Sanghyuk sounded absolutely scandalized, his gaze moving back and forth between Hakyeon and the couple in between them. He opened his mouth to say more, but then saw something over Hakyeon’s shoulder, and thought better of it.

“They’re mates.” Hakyeon turned when Youngbae spoke from behind him, his gaze never once meeting the Seer’s. And oh, the poor thing looked like he wanted to cry, like he wanted to hurt someone, like he wanted to punch Jiyong and then kill Seunghyun. “They’re mates.” Saying it the second time seemed to be purely for himself, as if he were trying to wrap his head around the idea of Jiyong _not_ belonging to him.

“Youngbae-”

Before Sanghyuk could get anything more out, Youngbae had turned, and vanished into the forest. Sanghyuk made to follow him, but Hakyeon shook his head. Deep down, Sanghyuk knew he was right, knew not to go after Youngbae, not now.

Behind him, Sanghyuk heard Jaehwan stir, and before he knew it, he was kneeling beside the Seer’s shoulders, one hand on his cheek. He was alive. That was good. “I’m going to take him home, Hakyeon.” As Jaehwan came to, Sanghyuk helped him to his feet. “Come on, sweet. Let’s get you home, alright?” Jaehwan made a quiet noise, pressing his face into Sanghyuk’s neck as the Omega led him away.

Hakyeon looked at Seunghyun, who still hadn’t released Jiyong, but was now gazing at Hakyeon. “So that’s why you’re here.” Seunghyun nodded once. “I’m not surprised. You seem like _exactly_ Jiyong’s type.”

Jiyong yanked himself out of Seunghyun’s arms, and whirled around. “What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” Jiyong looked critical. “Only that you are the type of person to go for assholes who can protect you from anything and everything, just so you never have to get your hands dirty.” Jiyong opened his mouth to argue, but then seemed to think better of it, and closed it, seething. His Spirit was humming with anger, the Beta standing behind him completely forgotten as he glared at Hakyeon. “Am I wrong?” Jiyong swallowed, throat dry, before leaning backwards against Seunghyun’s chest. “I will ask you politely once, Jiyong, and not again. If your mate is going to be difficult, then you need to get him out of here. If he is going to be a problem for _my_ Tribe, then he needs to leave. He can take you with him, if that’s what the two of you want, but I will not allow either of you to ruin my Tribe.”

Jiyong nodded. “I understand.”

“Good.” Hakyeon turned towards where the rest of his Tribe was standing. “Seungri, Daesung, go home. Take Wonshik with you.” The three Hunters nodded, and turned, vanishing into the forest even as Hakyeon addressed Hongbin and Taekwoon. “Hongbin, I need you to run a patrol. Make sure nothing’s happened in our absence. Taekwoon, go find Youngbae, make sure he’s alive. I wouldn’t want to lose him, not yet, anyways.” They both nodded, and Hongbin walked away. Taekwoon came towards Hakyeon, and stopped right in front of him.

“What do you intend to do with them?”

“If they leave, they leave. If they stay, Seunghyun will be bound to the same promise as Jiyong.” Taekwoon nodded once, and slipped past Hakyeon, moving quickly into the forest. Hakyeon turned once more to Jiyong and Seunghyun. “Have you made a decision?”

Jiyong sighed quietly. “Can we…can we have more time? Please, Hakyeon, just…give us a day, please.” Hakyeon hummed quietly in his throat. “One day, that’s all I’m asking for. Please.”

After a long, tense moment of deliberation, Hakyeon spoke. “Fine. One day.” Without another word, he turned on his heel, and walked away.

***

_The tree shuddered when Youngbae’s fist connected with it, several leaves dropping off of the branches and onto the dark ground. He growled, hitting the tree again, again, again, until the pain screamed for him to stop, and even then, he hit it one more time, before sinking to the ground, throat tightening with his tears. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. This shouldn’t have happened._

_“Youngbae.”_

_He looked up, eyes finding the newcomer almost instantly. He raised a hand to wipe tears from his face, but before he could, the man was there, kneeling in front of him, hands cupping his jaw, thumbs brushing tears off of his skin. “Why are you…why are you_ here _?”_

_The man smiled. “You needed me, so I came.”_

_Youngbae scoffed, and tried to turn away, but before he could, he was pinned in place, the man’s Spirit trapping him against the tree. “Let me-”_

_“Go? Mm, no, I don’t think so.” Youngbae growled. “Oh, don’t be like that.” His hands fell away from Youngbae’s face, stroking once under his chin, before moving away completely. “You’re angry.”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Why?”_

_Youngbae sighed. “Isn’t it obvious?”_

_The man cocked his head to the side in thought. “I…oh.” He paused, and Youngbae nodded once. “You knew he wasn’t your mate. You knew he could never be_ yours _, you knew eventually he’d find someone else.”_

_“Then why does it_ hurt _this much?”_

_Youngbae winced at the sound of his own voice. He sounded far too distraught, far too broken, for his own liking. “Youngbae, you loved him. That’s why it hurts. Because you fell in love with someone that you couldn’t have.”_

_“It’s not my fault.”_

_“Perhaps. Although perhaps you could have tried harder.”_


	15. Chapter Fifteen

“Youngbae.” The Seer didn’t respond, didn’t even acknowledge that Taekwoon had spoken. “Youngbae.”

“Please leave.”

Taekwoon raised an eyebrow. “Is that really what you want?” Youngbae nodded, jaw clenched. “You want to be alone all the time?” The Seer went still, breath caught in his throat, Spirit humming with excess energy. “Honestly, I don’t think you do. I think that’s what you tell people, just so that you don’t seem desperate. I think you would rather suffer in silence, by yourself, than share any sort of emotional bond with other people, because you’ve been hurt before, and you don’t ever want to be the victim of anything like that again. Am I wrong?”

Youngbae let out a shaky breath. “Go away.”

That seemed to be answer enough for Taekwoon. “No one is making you stay. Hakyeon told you that you were allowed to leave, if that’s what you want. He didn’t lie, Youngbae, he wouldn’t. He isn’t a liar.” Youngbae didn’t respond. “Why are you torturing yourself like this? You know he’s not your mate, you’ve _known_ , and yet you continue to allow yourself to believe that that will change. It won’t, Youngbae, I promise you that.”

Youngbae turned on his heel to glare at Taekwoon. “Did I _ask_ for your opinion?” Taekwoon didn’t flinch, even when Youngbae stalked forward. “He was mine, for _years_. And that will never change. You think he ever _trusted_ Seungri or Daesung or Sanghyuk, the way he trusted me? All we had was _each other_ , and now he seems to be forgetting that. I _saved_ him, on more than one occasion.”

“And yet he still would put Seunghyun over you, in a heartbeat.”

Youngbae went still when he heard Hakyeon. He didn’t speak for a long moment, chest heaving in his fury. “Yes.” Youngbae’s Spirit was practically vibrating with his anger, dark shadows becoming visible on the edges of his body. “Yes, he would, and I _hate_ him for it. I hate that, when it came down to it, he would abandon the person who he’s known for _years_ , for someone he essentially just met.”

Hakyeon hummed quietly in his throat. “My offer stands. You can leave, if that is what you wish. Or, if Jiyong elects to leave, you may stay here. It’s your decision, Youngbae, I won’t interfere.”

Youngbae turned to look at him. “Why are you doing this?”

Hakyeon paused, cocking his head to the side in thought. “Excellent question. I’m not quite sure. Perhaps I simply feel bad for you. Perhaps I see myself in you, somewhere. Or perhaps I simply know that you’ll make the right decision.”

Youngbae swallowed as Hakyeon came closer, until he was mere inches away. “And what would that be?”

Hakyeon smiled, though it was humorless. “Well, I suppose you’ll just have to find out.” He stepped closer, forcing Youngbae to tilt his head backwards, just to hold eye contact. “I’d hate to see you make a mistake, Youngbae.”

After a long, tense, silent moment, Hakyeon stepped away, and backed away from Youngbae. “Taekwoon, a word, please.” The Beta nodded, followed Hakyeon out of the clearing, leaving Youngbae alone.

Or so he had thought.

“You think I would abandon you?”

Youngbae growled. Within seconds, he was in front of Jiyong, a hand fisted in his shirt, slamming him back against a tree. His Spirit exploded out around him, and Jiyong shrank back, trying to fight back with his own, but finding himself quite unable to. “Why are you _here_? You know I don’t want to talk to you, you know that I don’t want to be _around_ you, so why won’t you leave me alone? I don’t want you around, Jiyong, why won’t you just _leave_?”

“Because I love you!”

Youngbae went still, grip loosening. “That’s a lie.”

Jiyong shook his head, swallowing a soft whine of pain. “It’s not. I love you. I love you, so much more than you realize.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do, you stupid Seer.” Youngbae growled again. “Are you my mate? No. But does that inherently mean that I do not love you? No. You are my Tribemate. You are a part of my _family_ , and I love you.”

Youngbae released him, and turned away. “I don’t care.”

Jiyong hissed. “No, you do. You care more than you should. You care that I said that I love you, and not that I’m _in love_ with you, because you know the difference between the love that I have for you, and the love that I have for my _mate_. You know that I will never love you the way that I love him, and that _kills_ you inside, because you have spent so _fucking_ long feeling that way, for me.” Jiyong fell quiet, chest heaving, for a few seconds, before he spoke again. “Seunghyun is my mate, Youngbae. That wasn’t my choice to make.”

“Would you have chosen me if it were?”

Jiyong hesitated, long enough that Youngbae could easily infer the answer. He made a quiet noise, turned away, and walked out of the clearing, not bothering to acknowledge Jiyong’s protests.

***

_“Does it hurt?”_

 _Youngbae took a shaky breath, teeth sinking into his lower lip. Sure, it did – and it didn’t matter if_ it _was the physical pain he was being subjected to, or the constant, inescapable reminder in the back of his mind, that he_ wasn’t good enough _. He was_ never _good enough, was he? “No.”_

_Shadowed fingers crept up, from his throat, to his jaw, digging into soft skin, pressing hard enough to bruise, but Youngbae didn’t show any sign that it hurt him. When his companion’s face finally came into view, Youngbae tried to lean away, but his captor’s grip stopped him. “Don’t try to escape me, Youngbae. Don’t you remember what I’ve told you?”_

_“Which part?”_

_The man laughed. “Everything. But perhaps most importantly, that you’ll never be good enough for him. You’ll never be his Seunghyun.” Youngbae growled. “None of that, pretty Youngbae. You can’t kill me, you can’t escape me. I’m inside of you. I_ am _you.”_

_“Fuck off.”_

_Before Youngbae could process what was happening, he had been thrown backwards, hitting a tree hard, and sliding to the ground. He gazed up at his companion, blood pounding in his ears. “I am all that you have now, and I think you’d do well to remember that.”_


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Jaehwan looked up when he heard Sanghyuk approach him, and shot a tight smile at the Omega. Neither of them spoke for a long moment. Jaehwan was kneeling on the ground, one hand braced on a tree, the other in a fist on the ground. “I can hear him. His Spirit. He’s touching the trees, and his Spirit travels amongst the forest.” Sanghyuk sank to the ground in front of Jaehwan. “He’s in so much pain, Sanghyuk. He’s my Tribemate, and he’s hurting, and I don’t know how to help him, and that _kills_ me inside.”

Sanghyuk looked like he wanted to touch Jaehwan, but he didn’t. “What’s happening to him?”

“I don’t…” Jaehwan took a deep breath, his muscles quivering. “I can’t _See_.” He sounded frustrated. “He’s not blocking me, at least not consciously, but I don’t know what’s going on inside of him that makes him feel this way.” He leaned sideways, against the tree, as if trying to press closer to the source of what he was hearing. “This goes beyond Jiyong and Seunghyun. Something is happening to him, something inside his head that I can’t See.”

After a long moment of silence, a single word came from Sanghyuk’s lips. “Oh.”

“What?” Sanghyuk bit his lip, looked away, before turning back to face Jaehwan. “ _What_ , Sanghyuk?” Before he could get an answer, Sanghyuk was on his feet, scrambling into the forest.

Jaehwan wasn’t far behind. When Sanghyuk came to a rather sudden halt, Jaehwan skidded to a stop just inches behind him, and then fell still when he saw what Sanghyuk was looking at.

Youngbae was slumped against a tree, clothing torn in places, bloody in others. His face was covered with blood – Jaehwan could smell from here that it was his own – and his jaw was significantly bruised – almost, Jaehwan acknowledged, as if someone had grabbed him by the jaw and held him in place.

It took Jaehwan a moment to realize that Sanghyuk had moved, and was now kneeling in front of Youngbae, hands on his shoulders. “Youngbae, please, wake up, please, please, it’s not real, it isn’t real, I promise, please wake up, it’s me, it’s Sanghyuk, I’m here.”

Youngbae came to with a gasp, lurching forward, head almost colliding with Sanghyuk’s. He squirmed for a moment in Sanghyuk’s grip, and then fell still, leaning heavily against the Omega. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m-” He cut off with a sob, and Sanghyuk made a quiet noise, arms tightening around the Seer.

“Youngbae, please don’t, please, it’s okay, I’m here, I’m here, you’re okay, it wasn’t real.”

Jaehwan came forward, and knelt behind Sanghyuk, looking Youngbae in the eyes. “Let me See.” Youngbae shook his head. “Please, Youngbae. I cannot help you if I don’t know what the problem is. Please let me _See_.”

After a long moment of stubborn deliberation, Youngbae extended a hand, and Jaehwan took it. He closed his eyes, allowing his Spirit to meet Youngbae’s, colliding in a clash of powers.

***

_It was dark; that was Jaehwan’s first observation, and perhaps one of the most crucial. Because when he visited the Spirit Realm, it was always bright and light and, if not joyful, then at least riddled with contentment. But this…this was far from that vision. This was dark, and cold, and angry, and_ loud _, and it didn’t sit well in Jaehwan’s stomach. He looked around, trying to find Youngbae, and realized that he was alone._

_He bit down on his tongue to keep from shouting for the other Seer, knowing it wouldn’t do him any good. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that there must be a reason for Youngbae to be missing, especially since they were in his own corner of the Realm._

_But Seers didn’t just go_ missing _, that wasn’t how it worked. There was always a reason, always a point, to their vanishing, whether it was their intention, or someone else’s. At the moment, Jaehwan was willing to bet that it was someone else’s fault that Youngbae had vanished._

_“Well, you sure are_ smart _, aren’t you, little Seer.” Jaehwan spun around, but couldn’t find the speaker, not until he stepped out of the shadows, into the shadows that Jaehwan could see. “Do you like games, Jaehwan?”_

_“Not particularly. Where’s Youngbae?”_

_“Oh, you see, silly, that’s the game. You have to_ find _him.” The speaker came forward, only stopping when he was successfully inside of Jaehwan’s personal space. “And if you don’t, Jaehwan, I think you’ll find yourself regretting it.”_

_“Are you threatening my Tribemate?”_

_“Oh, no, no, no. I’m threatening your_ Tribe _.”_

_Jaehwan growled. “Why have you taken him?”_

_The man laughed quietly. “I want to know if you’re truly as_ great _as they say you are. There’re a lot of rumors, Jaehwan, about your abilities, and certain…individuals would have us believe that you’re…slipping. I want to know the truth, and I’d like to hear it from you.”_

_Jaehwan lunged forward, fingers fisting in the speaker’s clothes, and he pushed him back against a tree, snarling. “Do I_ look _like I’m_ slipping _to you?”_

_“Oh, well, no, I suppose you don’t, but you see, Jaehwan, people only_ see _one side of everyone. All anyone knows is what you choose to show them, and thus far, Jaehwan, we’ve seen you go from ‘most powerful Seer ever’ to…well. Not. Like I said, there’re rumors that perhaps your time is over, and it’s someone else’s turn to take the lead.”_

_Jaehwan’s fingers crept up to grab the speaker’s throat, squeezing once. “I will find him, and then, and_ then _, I will find you, and kill you, you mark my words.”_

_“Is that a threat?”_

_“No.” Jaehwan squeezed harder, and the man went quiet, lips hanging open, struggling for air. “It’s a_ promise _.”_

_Without another word, Jaehwan released the man, and he collapsed to the ground, breathing hard. Jaehwan growled at him, before backing away, allowing his Spirit to flow out of his body in search of Youngbae’s. As he backed up, he slowly slipped back into the real world, the darkness closing around him once more, before everything went black._


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Hakyeon put a hand on Jaehwan’s shoulder, pulling the Seer out of his thoughts. “That’s enough. You can’t do anything more, not when you can barely keep your eyes open. Sanghyuk’s waiting for you, go to him, get some sleep. You can try again when you wake up.” Jaehwan opened his mouth to argue, but whatever words he may have wanted to say turned into a yawn. “Go, Jaehwan. I won’t let anything happen to him.” Jaehwan nodded, after a long moment of deliberation, and got to his feet. “If you see Jiyong, send him my way, would you?” Another nod, and then the Seer was slipping out of the room, leaving Hakyeon standing over Youngbae.

“You can’t help him, Hakyeon, you know that.” Hakyeon nodded, and turned to face Taekwoon. “You should take your own advice. Get some sleep.”

“Not before I talk to Jiyong.”

Taekwoon sighed. “Hakyeon, he’s made his decision. I know you don’t like it, I know you don’t approve of the implications, or the potential consequences, but I think you need to remember that you gave the choice to leave or to stay, and he was only doing what you asked.”

“I know.”

“Let him live his life.”

Hakyeon shook his head. “You don’t understand, Taekwoon. You didn’t hear what he told me, after he reported his decision. He has made a decision for himself, and he is attempting to make a decision for the others, for Youngbae and Seungri and Daesung, and _that_ is where I take issue. I cannot have him deciding what they do with their lives. It is not his call. He clearly has issues with respect, and I think he needs to learn that some people are not only capable of, but also entitled to, making their own decisions.”

“So tell him that. _Later_.”

“He wants to leave tonight. Seungri and Daesung don’t know that they have a choice. Youngbae is incapable, right now, of that choice. I don’t know what’s happened to him, but I am going to find out, and when I do, I’m going to be _livid_ , and Jiyong doesn’t want to have to deal with me when I’m angry, regardless of whether I’m angry with him.”

“I understand that, Hakyeon, but how do you know that Seungri and Daesung haven’t made a choice? You have no proof that Jiyong is forcing this-”

“Are you defending him?”

Taekwoon looked appalled. “I…what? No. Never. I wouldn’t.” Hakyeon raised an eyebrow. “You don’t believe me.” Hakyeon shook his head. “Why would I ever defend him, Hakyeon? What reason do I have to defend _that_?” Hakyeon didn’t speak, and after a long moment, Taekwoon sighed. “Fine. Maybe I am, a little bit. But you have to realize, Hakyeon, that maybe he isn’t forcing them. That maybe, just _maybe_ , you’re being a little bit hypocritical.”

Hakyeon growled. “Are you implying-”

“No. I would never. But Hakyeon, you have to remember that Seungri and Daesung can make their own choices. Maybe _this_ was their choice. Jiyong cannot tell them what to do, but neither can you, Hakyeon. They’ve known you - _us_ \- for how long? Jiyong will always have known them for longer, and it goes the other way too. They know him. If they believe that he is the better option, then they will follow him.”

Hakyeon went still. He stared at Taekwoon for a long moment, before speaking, voice quiet. “Get out.” The Beta froze in place. “I said get _out_ , Taekwoon.” After a moment of tense silence, Taekwoon obeyed, slipping out of the room and leaving Hakyeon alone.

“You shouldn’t treat your Beta like that. Or your mate.”

Hakyeon growled, but didn’t look at the newcomer. He simply stared into the space surrounding Youngbae, watching as his Spirit flickered and changed, fading more often than not.

“Oh, ignoring me now, I see. Funny that you take that approach, given that I have done _nothing_ to cause this little…predicament that you’ve found yourself in, Hakyeon.” The newcomer moved to stand in front of Hakyeon, giving the Alpha little other choice than to look him in the eyes. “Come on, Hakyeon, cheer up. He’s not _dead_.”

“Well, he’s not exactly alive and well, now is he?”

The newcomer laughed. “Oh, I had forgotten how much you took after Kyuhyun.” Hakyeon didn’t respond to that. “Siwon was asking about you, and when Heechul felt your distress…well. We decided to investigate. Turns out you’re just attached to a Seer who isn’t even _yours_. Pity, Hakyeon, pity.”

Hakyeon laughed, humorless. “I think Leeteuk would disagree with that statement.”

The man in front of Hakyeon went still. “What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, sweetie, nothing.” It was Hakyeon’s turn to circle his companion. “Just a reference to your little relationship with your dear Alpha.”

“My dear Alpha who made you who you are today, so I’d watch your tone if I were you.”

Hakyeon laughed again. “And how does Hangeng feel about you being here?” His companion stiffened, but didn’t speak. “Oh, touched a nerve, did I?”

“Regardless of whether or not you ‘touched a nerve’, Hakyeon, I don’t think _any_ of my Tribemates would appreciate the way you’re talking about Leeteuk.” The man turned, and looked at the sleeping Seer. “And you value your friend.”

“Is that a threat?”

“An observation, and an observation only, Hakyeon. I would never threaten you in your own…home.”

Hakyeon growled, glaring now at his companion. “Don’t lie to me, Heechul. I know you, I know your game. Don’t pretend like you aren’t playing.” The man laughed quietly. “You can run along home now, and tell your dear Alpha that I’m not interested in what he has to offer, regardless of what it may be.”

Heechul chuckled. “Very well, pretty Hakyeon. I’ll relay your…thoughts to Leeteuk. I’m sure he’ll be displeased, and wish to visit you himself. Good day.” Without another word, he stepped backwards, and vanished into the shadows, leaving Hakyeon alone, Youngbae still sleeping in the corner.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

“Oh, Hakyeon.” The Alpha went still, but didn’t turn to look at the man who had appeared behind him. “Hakyeon, Hakyeon, Hakyeon. I thought we taught you better, I really did.” A long silence, as the man circled around to stand in front of Hakyeon. “And you’re in my seat.” After a long moment of silence, Hakyeon got to his feet, and stepped aside. The man shot him a tight smile, and sat down. “Now, from what I’ve been told, you’re…losing your touch, I believe that’s the phrase Donghae used.”

Hakyeon knew that his companion wasn’t done. That didn’t exactly stop him from speaking. “You’ve been misinfor-”

The man raised his hand, and Hakyeon fell silent. “And when I heard, Hakyeon, that you were so unwilling to speak to me…I was disappointed. So disappointing, that my favorite pupil would cast me aside so willingly.” Hakyeon rolled his eyes, and turned away. “Oh, Hakyeonnie. Let’s not do this now. I have several things I’d much rather be doing, but unfortunately, my idiot apprentice has gone and made a mess of his life.”

“Excuse you-”

The man cut Hakyeon off. “Do you think I want to be here, Hakyeon? Do you think I want to spend my time picking up your messes? Do you think I want to separate myself from my Tribe, my _mate_ , for _you_?”

“Do you think I _asked_ you to come here, Leeteuk?”

Leeteuk was on his feet, a small, patronizing smile on his lips, before Hakyeon could process that he had moved. “Hakyeonnie, I’d watch your mouth if I were you.” Hakyeon growled, and stepped forward, but Leeteuk held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. “I thought you might have already guessed, Hakyeonnie, that I’m not in the greatest mood, but it seems I have to explain it to you.” Hakyeon backed up quickly, only stopping when he hit the wall. “I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to have to deal with this. I want to think that you are capable of handling your own problems. But Hakyeon, your actions, from today, from what Donghae’s told me, suggest that you don’t know what you’re _doing_.” Hakyeon opened his mouth, but before he could say a word, he was forced to duck, as a vase came flying at his head. “Gods, I thought you were better than this. I thought I trained you better.”

“You did-”

“It would appear that I didn’t.” Hakyeon’s breath caught in his throat. “Heechul, love, go collect the others. All of them.” Hakyeon was expecting Heechul to vanish, but instead, he walked past them, and out of the door. “Here’s what’s going to happen, Hakyeonnie. Your Tribe is going to come in here, and we’re going to have a conversation. I want to know what in the bloody _fuck_ is going on, and then, only then, I will decide whether or not you’re capable.”

Leeteuk sat down, crossed one leg over the other, hands on either armrest. After a long moment of silence, Hakyeon moved, stood up straight, and moved to stand at the corner of the desk, facing towards the door, just as Heechul entered the room again. Behind him came the others, each and every one, with one exception.

“Where’s the other Alpha?”

Leeteuk’s voice was soft, but powerful; gentle, but commanding; quiet, but demanding. Hakyeon glanced at his Tribemates, and then looked back at Leeteuk. “He’s left.”

Before Leeteuk could say anything else, Taekwoon spoke up. “He took Seunghyun with him. That was one of the choices that Hakyeon gave them.”

Leeteuk raised an eyebrow, turning in his seat to look at Taekwoon. “Dear me, that is a problem.” Leeteuk looked at Hakyeon. “I thought I understood exactly how far you were slipping, but it would appear that I was wrong.” He stood up, and many of the people in the room pulled backwards. “Siwon, Heechul, go get them.”

The pair slipped out of the room, and Leeteuk turned to the others. “It would appear some introductions are in order. Hakyeon, I know Taekwoon and Jaehwan, but who are these other children?”

Hakyeon cleared his throat. He looked ready to argue that they weren’t children, but there was a warning look in Leeteuk’s eye that seemed to convince him otherwise. “Those are my Hunters, Hongbin and Wonshik. Behind them is Sanghyuk, Jaehwan’s mate. Those two are Jiyong’s former Hunters, Seungri and Daesung. Youngbae’s on the floor.” 

Leeteuk smiled. “Thank you.” No one for a second believed that he meant it. “Alright. Who wants to explain to me what’s happened?” He sat down again, smile still on his face. When no one spoke, it dropped like a rock. After a tense moment of silence, Heechul and Siwon reentered the room, dragging Jiyong and Seunghyun behind them. “And would either of you care to explain to me why your Alpha is so…dismal?” Neither of them spoke, perhaps because they had exactly zero context for the situation. “Very well.” He flicked his fingers in Sanghyuk’s general direction, and the Omega fell to the ground, a raw scream tearing from his throat.

Jaehwan shrieked, tried to move towards his mate, but Taekwoon stopped him, held him in place, a gentle hand on his wrist, soothing words in his ear. They knew what would happen if Jaehwan got any closer. The Hunters stood still in mute horror. Seunghyun and Siwon and Heechul and Hakyeon didn’t move, didn’t react at all. Jiyong’s upper lip twitched in irritation, fury, disgust, and he stepped forward, ignoring Siwon’s growl of warning. “Leave him alone.”

Leeteuk cocked his head to the side in thought. “Mm, no.” Jiyong opened his mouth to argue, but Leeteuk cut him off. “Unless you intend to tell me what’s going on, I don’t intend to release your poor little Omega. And, as far as I’m aware, Hakyeon’s the only one who knows the full story.”

Jiyong stood still for a moment, and then stepped backwards, into Seunghyun’s arms. Jaehwan sobbed, and Leeteuk turned to look at Hakyeon. “You see, Hakyeonnie, this is what happens when you cross me. This is what happens when you ignore what I’ve taught you. And it _hurts_ , doesn’t it, knowing that you’ve failed your Tribe, knowing that this is your fault.”

For a long moment, all they could hear was Sanghyuk screaming, and then, that cut off.

“Step away from him, or so help me, I will kill you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 Chapters to go...


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Leeteuk turned slowly on his heel, coming face to face with a snarling Onew, Minho standing at his shoulder, Taemin on the ground beside Youngbae, fingers on his face. “Oh, now, this is rich, isn’t it, gentlemen? All of my apprentices – each and every one – turning against me.” He bared his teeth in a growl. “It would appear that I should have checked up on you more. My faith was misplaced.”

“No, your teachings are just flawed, _seonsaeng_.” Onew looked around at the others in the room. “You taught us that we were the strongest, the greatest. It was only a matter of time before we realized that our biggest competition was you.”

Leeteuk smiled. “I won’t make the same mistake again.”

“You won’t have the chance, _seonsaeng_.” Taemin had gotten to his feet now, and come forward, pushing past Heechul. “We know how the real world is. We know how to deal with it. We know how to fight; we know how to survive; we know how to do everything that you’ve done, for the past…how many years? 11?” He paused, head tilted to the side in thought. “It doesn’t matter. The point is, we don’t _need_ you anymore, _seonsaeng_.” Your time as our teacher is finished.”

Leeteuk let out a low growl. “After everything that I have done for you, you would betray me like this? You would cast aside my teachings, my care, my _love_ , so quickly?”

“You never loved any of us.” Those words came from Jaehwan. “You were creating an army, Leeteuk. You were making us into _you_. Forgive us for following through.” Leeteuk raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, did you _not_ betray your teachers?”

Leeteuk snarled. “Do not talk about things that you do not understand, Jaehwan.”

Jaehwan laughed, shocking Leeteuk into silence. “You assume that because you never told me, I don’t know? You think I haven’t seen it in your mind, haven’t heard their Spirits _haunting_ you, haven’t spoken to them myself? You think that they never reached out to me? The _second_ I decided that I was more loyal to Hakyeon than I was to you, they were there. And you know what? They are ten _times_ the teacher you ever were.”

Leeteuk would have charged Jaehwan, if Siwon hadn’t put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him away from them. “Calm down.”

After about a second of silence, Jaehwan spoke again. “You know why I’m fighting the battle that I am right now, Leeteuk? Because I know that you’re a monster, and I know that we can all see that, and I know that you’re _such_ a hypocrite.”

Tense silence followed, and then a battle erupted.

Even as they moved, the rest of Leeteuk’s Tribe poured out of the shadows, teeth bared, snarling in fury. Hakyeon knew them, all of them, had been their friends, but that didn’t stop him, it wouldn’t stop _any_ of them from doing what they had to do.

***

It was inevitable, Jaehwan supposed, that he would end up fighting his former best friend.

He hadn’t expected Kangin to be there at all, and so when he was forcibly yanked into the Spirit realm, it took him by surprise. And then there were hands on his neck, squeezing, cutting off whatever air he might have had.

And he certainly hadn’t expected a dramatic speech.

“We were friends, Jaehwannie. Friends. Do you know what that means? Friends are supposed to _help_ each other, they’re supposed to _love_ each other, they aren’t supposed to _fight_.”

“So why are you fighting me?”

The words barely managed to get out, before Kangin had thrown Jaehwan. “You’ve given me no choice. When you threaten _my_ Alpha, you make me your enemy.”

Jaehwan laughed quietly, as he pushed himself into a standing position. “Leeteuk came into _my_ Tribe’s territory. _He_ started a fight, not me.”

Kangin growled, and before he knew it, Jaehwan had him on the ground, hands on his forehead. “No-”

“Shut up.” Jaehwan was crying, but he didn’t let the tears get in his way. “I have done nothing, but what Leeteuk taught me to do. I have followed my Alpha. That is all he ever taught. So he cannot blame me for following my Alpha into battle.”

Before Kangin could speak, his eyes fell shut.

***

When Taemin finally managed to get rid of Siwon – he dared not use the word kill – he found a dying Donghae lying on the ground, head in Heechul’s lap. The Seer shot a worried glance at Taemin, but the Seer didn’t move, pinned in place by the sheer agony on Donghae’s face. There was blood everywhere; his clothes, his skin, his mouth. Taemin’s lower lip trembled, but he didn’t move. He could hear the others fighting behind him, but his gaze remained locked on Donghae’s, every one and a while flitting up to look at Heechul.

After a moment of struggle, Donghae spoke, voice just loud enough so both Taemin and Heechul could hear. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Tell Hakyeon…tell him I love him, tell him I never wanted it to end like this, tell him I’m sorry.” Taemin nodded, though he felt almost as if the words weren’t meant for him. “I’m so…this was my fault.”

“No, no, it wasn’t, it was mine, it was my vision that made you-”

“Heechul, stop it.”

The Seer cut off when Taemin spoke, and then allowed Donghae to continue, eyes on Heechul. “Tell me…is he happy? Is Han Geng happy?” Heechul’s eyes clouded over, and Taemin could feel his Spirit searching. “Heechul, please, I need to know. I need to know that he’s alright.”

“He is.” Taemin surprised them both when he spoke. “I’ve seen him, I’ve heard him, he’s fine. He misses you.” Donghae smiled, and then coughed. “I’ll help you find him, Donghae.”

“Th-thank you.” Donghae looked ready to say more, but before he could, a loud explosion had shaken the room, capturing Taemin’s attention.

When he turned around, he screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 chapter to go...


	20. Chapter Twenty

_“Taemin.”_

_“Jaehwan.”_

_The pair of Seers faced each other. Before long, a group of other Seers appeared, stepping out of the shadows. Youngbae led them, Heechul at his shoulder. No one spoke for a long moment._

_“This needs to stop.”_

_Jaemin nodded. “I agree. I absolutely agree with you. But we all know that our Alphas don’t.”_

_Youngbae pressed his lips together. “You’re correct. Jiyong’s furious. Hakyeon’s furious. Onew and Leeteuk are furious. I don’t know what we can say to change their minds.” He let out a shaky breath. “But we can’t continue fighting like this. If this continues, we will all die. Everyone in our Tribes will die. That cannot happen. I won’t stand by and wait for this to happen.”_

_Heechul stepped forward. “We need to meet. All of us, and our Alphas. And it needs to happen soon, like, now. I’ll bring Leeteuk, and Kangin, if he’s willing.”_

_Youngbae let out a shaky breath. “Jiyong won’t be too happy with this plan. He kind of hates everyone right now, me included.” He looked around at the others, before speaking again. “But I’ll do what I have to. I’m not going to let this opportunity slip through our fingers.”_

_Jaehwan nodded. “Alright. It’s decided. We’ll meet as soon as we get back to our own realm.”_

_All of them nodded. All but two stepped away, leaving Taemin and Heechul alone. The pair stared at each other for a long time, before Heechul spoke quietly. “Have you Seen anything?”_

_Taemin shrugged. “Bits and pieces. He felt it, when Donghae…passed. He’s hurting, but he won’t come back. He won’t come back to your Tribe.” Heechul nodded slowly, tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Heechul.”_

_“It’s not your fault.”_

_Taemin made a thoughtful noise. “No, it’s not. That doesn’t mean that I don’t feel bad.” He looked around. “He was my friend too, you know.”_

_Heechul bit his lip. “I know, Taemin. We were all close, all of us Seers. You, and me, and Kangin, and Han Geng, and Jaehwan.” Taemin smiled, and stepped closer to Heechul. “Would you…would you keep trying? Please?” Taemin nodded. “If you speak to him – and I know it’s a big if – please tell him that I love him. And that we miss him. I’m not asking him to come back, I’d never ask that of him, but I don’t want him to be cut completely out of my life.”_

_“I will.”_

***

When Jiyong left the meeting, he was quite literally leaning on Seunghyun for support. He was tired, they all were, because they’d been in there for hours on end, going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth, and _gods_ he just wanted to sleep. He glanced at his Hunters, and nodded when he saw the questions in their eyes, and Daesung came forward. “Is Youngbae-”

“Yes.”

When Daesung looked up, he spotted the other Alphas leaving, each rejoining their Tribes. But the Seers were still missing, were still _meeting_ , and even just considering that made Daesung want to go to sleep. He walked back towards Seungri, put an arm around his waist, and led him away, towards where they had been sleeping earlier.

Back inside, Youngbae was sitting cross-legged, in a circle with the other Seers. No one had spoken for a long time, but they each knew what the others were thinking, they could _feel_ it.

“So this is it.” They all nodded when Heechul spoke. “We’re all going to go our separate ways. Jaehwan will stay with Hakyeon. I’ll stay with Leeteuk. Taemin will go with Onew, Youngbae with Jiyong. Hopefully nothing like this will ever happen again.” 

“And if it does?”

Heechul sighed. “We’ll handle it. It won’t go as badly as this did. We’ve learned, we will continue to learn, from this mistake. I am not angry, at any of you, for what happened last night. We’ve sorted this out, we’ve dealt with what happened. Our Tribes will come out of this alright.”

Taemin nodded. “I agree. We’ll be okay. It’ll take some time, but we’ll be okay.”

Youngbae looked around. “We need to go home. We can’t draw this out longer; our Tribemates are tired.” Soft noises of affirmation followed his statement. “My Tribe will return to its territory. Jaehwan, tell Hakyeon that I’m sorry, and tell him thank you, but I cannot stay here any longer.”

“And Sanghyuk?”

Youngbae let out a quiet breath. “I love the kid, I really do. And I know he’s your mate, and that you want him to stay, so I’m letting him make that call. Although I have a pretty good idea of what he’ll do.” Jaehwan nodded. “Thank you, for everything. I’ll…I’ll see you around.” 

Youngbae got to his feet, pausing only when he caught Taemin’s eye. “I’d like to speak with you a moment, before you leave, Youngbae.” The Seer nodded. “Thank you.” Taemin looked back at the others. “Tell Leeteuk that I’m sorry.” Without another word, he got to his feet, and followed Youngbae out.

Jaehwan looked at Heechul for a long moment. “I know you asked Taemin to keep looking. Heechul, you need to let him go. He’s not coming back, you know that. He left for a reason. He’ll find Donghae, in the Spirit Realm, but you need to let go. If he doesn’t want to come back – which we both know he doesn’t – he’s going to stay where he is. You have so much more to live for, right now.” Heechul didn’t respond. “Your Tribe needs you, now more than ever. Please don’t forget that.” He stood, and started to walk away, but paused just before he left. “I love you, Heechul, and I want you to be happy, but you need to let him go. Continuing to try and convince yourself that he’ll come back won’t make you happy.”

Then Heechul was alone. He sat in silence for all of about five minutes, before his Tribemates joined him. Leeteuk helped him to his feet, put an arm around his waist, and then they stepped into the shadows, vanishing into the Spirit Realm.

***

__  
“I’m sorry.”

_Donghae looked up quickly, whirled about, eyes landing on the one person he had hoped he wouldn’t see. He glared at the Seer as he came forward, throat tightening with the threat of tears. He wouldn’t cry, he wouldn’t. “Go away.”_

_“Donghae, I’m_ sorry _. I never meant for this to happen, I didn’t want you to-”_

_“I’m not angry because I’m dead, Han Geng, I’m angry because you’re_ here _.” Han Geng’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I wanted you to be happy to see me again.”_

_“I am-”_

_“You’re not. You feel guilty. You think that it’s your fault that I’m dead. You’re upset, because you think that if you had been there, you could have kept me alive. You aren’t_ happy _to see me, Han Geng, don’t lie to me, I know you.” Donghae fell silent, as Han Geng continued forward. “Don’t. Don’t make me feel worse than I already do.” Han Geng stopped in place. “You never once made an effort to see me.”_

_“I couldn’t.”_

_“Bullshit.” Han Geng looked ready to argue, but then closed his mouth. “Leave me alone, Han Geng. Just…leave.”_

***

Jiyong’s Tribe had left without much ceremony, followed closely by Onew’s. No one had commented on the way Taemin had held Youngbae back, followed their Tribemates, just out of earshot, but they all knew what was going on. Each and every Seer had felt it, had recognized the source of Taemin’s concern the moment he had arrived.

Jaehwan hadn’t left Sanghyuk’s side, the Omega’s arm constantly around his waist, holding him close. Hakyeon and Taekwoon had vanished almost as soon as they had stepped out of the meeting, leaving Jaehwan in charge.

“Jaehwan.”

Jaehwan went still, broke free of Sanghyuk’s grip as he turned to face the speaker. “What-”

“I don’t have time to explain. Thank you for telling Heechul to leave me alone.” Jaehwan nodded once. “I’m sorry, I don’t have much time. I came to warn you. There’s…there’s a Tribe, out West. I’ve Seen something, I’m not sure what, but if you’ve felt anything unusual – which I know you have – I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to worry about it. Youngbae’s already volunteered to deal with it.”

“What-”

“Stop talking, I need to leave soon, I can’t be caught here. If they need help, Youngbae will tell you, you know that.” Jaehwan nodded. “Thank you. I have to go.”

“Han Geng, wait.”

“What?”

“Have you spoken to Donghae?”

The brief look of disgust that crossed Han Geng’s face was more than enough answer. “I have. I don’t want to talk about it. Goodbye, Jaehwan.”

Without another word, Han Geng vanished, leaving Jaehwan alone. The Seer sighed heavily, turned his face into Sanghyuk’s chest. “Stupid. I wanted them to be happy, but Donghae…Donghae is Donghae, and I guess it’s just…not going to work.” Sanghyuk hummed quietly. “But _damn_ , I wish I could do that Shadow-Vanish thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final Chapter


End file.
